By Golly, Ollie!

💾 a blog about books, tea, & geekery

Author: Jackie

  • Book Blind Date | Shakespeare Undead by Lori Handleland

    Book Blind Date | Shakespeare Undead by Lori Handleland

    I’ve mentioned it before, but I go in “blind” with almost every book I borrow from the library. It encourages me to select books I never would have otherwise because of perceptions of a genre or a style. This was the case for Shakespeare Undead by Lori Handeland. I picked up this novel for two reasons:

    1. I needed spooky books for my October “horror” series, and well…this book does have “undead” right in the title.
    2. The book cover features Shakespeare with vampire fangs, and apparently that’s all the convincing I need.

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  • A Spooktacular Coffee Table Book | Dead Inside: Do Not Enter: Notes from the Zombie Apocalypse

    A Spooktacular Coffee Table Book | Dead Inside: Do Not Enter: Notes from the Zombie Apocalypse

    Dead Inside: Do Not Enter: Notes from the Zombie Apocalypse from The Lost Zombies Community

    Released: September 2011
    Publisher: Chronicle Books
    Add to Goodreads
    ★★★★
    Synopsis: Post Secret meets World War Z in this chilling vision of the fallout following a global zombie pandemic. A gradual mutation of a virulent strain of super flu gives rise to millions of the undead, who quickly overwhelm treatment facilities and swarm cities around the world, leaving survivors on their own against a legion of the infected. This chilling story is told through the scraps of paper, scrawled signs, and cryptic markers left by survivors as they struggle to stay alive and find those they ve lost in a world overrun by zombies. Through these found notes and messages letters to loved ones, journal fragments, confessions, and warnings readers can uncover the story of what went wrong, and come to know the individual voices of those affected by the zombie crisis.

    My Thoughts

    When I was a pre-teen, I was a horror novel fanatic. Each trip to the library, I would bring home a stack of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street books or Give Yourself Goosebumps (a choose your own adventure series) and devour them in one sitting. I’m not sure if I burned myself out or what, but I drifted away from this beloved genre shortly after puberty, and I haven’t looked back since (with the exception of Rot & Ruin and Dearly, Departed). This season though, I felt particularly festive and brought home stacks of spooky novels and two bags of candy corn (mostly untouched at this point and no, I don’t know why I thought two bags of candy corn was necessary). Not all the books I read gave me the heebie-jeebies, but they all succeeded in making me feel excited to celebrate October. Of course, all the 31 days/13 days of Halloween specials on teevee help, too (ABC Family has Hocus-Pocus and Casper on heavy rotation at the end of October, in case you’re a fan).

    I was actually a little weary when I started this project. I’m such a moody reader, so I wasn’t sure how well I would be able to stick to my plan. Fortunately, my library book choices are usually a win. Plus, I had a diverse mix of novels/graphic novels/genres to keep me entertained. The first book I cracked open was Dead Inside: Do Not Enter. In my post title, I’ve called it a coffee table book, although I’m uncertain of the type of person that would feature this on their coffee table. I would say myself, but I don’t have a coffee table, so it just sort of sat on the floor until my next library visit. Goodreads calls it a graphic novel. It’s both? Anyone could be entertained as they flipped to random pages to find photographs of notes scrawled on napkins or cardboard scraps. Yet, the artwork in this book is sequential, and it does tell a grim and heartbreaking story about humanity falling apart one zombie bite at a time. This book contains artwork and inspiration from the Lost Zombies website– a social media site that encouraged users to set up a profile and upload audio, video, and photographs to contribute to the Lost Zombie timeline. Unfortunately, the Lost Zombies community is more dead than the antagonists in this book (ie. the website is defunct). Dead Inside: Do Not Enter was a fun read though, and although it is brief to the point where I almost felt guilty adding it to my Goodreads Challenge, it would be a spooktacular gift for the zombie lover in your life (even if they don’t have coffee tables).

    What are your favorite zombified books, games or movies?

  • Earl Grey Lavender Tea is a Fickle Fellow

    Earl Grey Lavender Tea is a Fickle Fellow

    During college, I had a waxing interest in the Steampunk subculture– not to the point where I wore Steampunk-inspired garb– but I did have a handful of Steampunk bands loaded onto my iPod. Abney Park was my favorite. I also frequented Steampunk blogs, and it was through them that I discovered a webcomic called Wondermark by David Malki !. The comic wasn’t really Steampunk, although it did make the occasional reference:

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  • Going to the Library with a Theme in Mind is Like Going on a Scavenger Hunt

    Going to the Library with a Theme in Mind is Like Going on a Scavenger Hunt

    I had better success reading through my last batch of library loot. I only returned one book unread– Thirteen Chairs by Dave Shelton. I think I knew the day I pulled the book from the library stacks that I probably wasn’t going to read it. The premise of the book sounded interesting enough– a boy enters a house he thought to be abandoned only to find twelve people sitting about, and they end up exchanging ghost stories– but honestly I only picked it because there were not that many YA novels that fell in to the horror genre.

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  • What I’m Really Doing When I’m Reading

    What I’m Really Doing When I’m Reading

    Aside from being a notorious book polygamist and a moody reader, I am also a distracted reader. This explains why I’m 17 books behind schedule for my Goodreads Reading Challenge. That and Dragon Age: Inquisition, other blogs, and the sudden desire to binge-watch episodes of Supernatural on Netflix every time my hand touches a book. Unlike many passionate readers though, I have a hard time getting sucked in to the world between the pages because I have an attention span of a gnat. This is what I’m really doing when I’m reading:

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  • Halt You Villains! Unhand That Review! Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

    Halt You Villains! Unhand That Review! Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

    Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

    Released: October 2014
    Publisher: Marvel
    Age Group: Young Adult
    Add to Goodreads
    ★★★★
    Synopsis: Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

    My Thoughts

    Nimona by Noelle Stevenson is one of those books that makes me questions my rating scale. I’ve been thinking all week about how fun this book was, how I wish I could trick Jon into reading it, how the artwork was fun and quirky, and how the characters in this book turn our hero/villain archetypes on their heads. It almost appears to be a book that has the qualities of a five-star read, yet…it’s not? What then is it lacking that prevents it from five-star status on this blog? Is it something that I cannot quantify in words? I mean, I can hardly think of a flaw! In fact, here is a list of why you should read Nimona:

    1.  Nimona’s got zest, she’s got spunk, she’s fearless, and I loved reading about a female protagonist (or is she an antagonist?) that embodied those characteristics. Nimona is such a force that she drove the plot forward instead of circumstance.
    2. Noelle Stevenson plays with the hero/villain archetype in her graphic novel, which was fun although it was a little predictable. This of course doesn’t diminish my hatred of the Institution for what they did to Nimona and Blackheart and Goldenloin.
    3. Nimona is a shapeshifter AND SOMETIMES SHE TURNS INTO AN ADORABLE CAT. I mean, isn’t that enough?
    4. Something about the artwork and the banter between the characters combined makes this book laugh out loud funny. I lost track of how many times this book made me gigglesnort.
    5. This graphic novel is a blend of fantasy and science fiction, which fascinates me. Weapons of choice are either big plasma guns or trusty swords. I don’t know how this works, it just does.

    The only downfall of Nimona is despite the origin stories and despite the scientific research about Nimona, I still don’t understand how she gained her shape-shifting powers or how they really work. Of course reasons 1-5 make up for this, but I still wanted to be able to close the book and be able to say, “Ooooh, so that’s how it happened”.

    In the end, Nimona was an excellent read– fast-paced, funny, and a rip-roaring adventure. It also convinced me I need more Noelle Stevenson in my life; during my next library visit, I’ll be searching for the Lumberjane graphic novels, another series Noelle Stevenson wrote/co-wrote.

    Have you read anything written by Noelle Stevenson? What did you think of it? Did you know that she illustrated the cover of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl? Awesooooome!

  • This is Another Five Star Review: Ms Marvel, Vol 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

    This is Another Five Star Review: Ms Marvel, Vol 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

    Ms Marvel, Vol 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

    Released: October 2014
    Publisher: Marvel
    Age Group: Young Adult
    Add to Goodreads
    ★★★★★
    Synopsis: Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she’s suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she’s comin’ for you, Jersey!

     My Thoughts

    Ms Marvel is the first graphic novel I’ve ever purchased, and the reason I pulled it from the shelf is entirely superficial– the cover. I mean, look at it! It’s intense and powerful. If that was any indication of the story inside, how could I resist? And I definitely wasn’t disappointed. First, the artwork was stunning and the colors were bold;  I’ve only read a handful of graphic novels, but the artwork of Adrian Alphona is my favorite yet. Second, Kamala Khan is a powerhouse. I mean, obviously– she is Ms Marvel. But even when she’s not a super hero, she’s still strong. She’s insistent on experiencing teenage-hood despite over-protective parents and the fact that teenage-hood is an absolutely terrifying time. Also, while she seems shy and awkward, she is also unapologetically her own person (and unapologetically geeky!) even though sometimes she’s still trying figure out who that is. Finally, Ms Marvel: No Normal is a thought-provoking story because it challenges a lot of our social norms– what is considered beautiful, who can be considered a hero, what it means to be American. Kamala Khan may start out transforming into a Carol Danvers look-a-like, but soon she realizes Ms Marvel doesn’t have to be a blonde-haired, white woman as she becomes more confident in herself and her identity.

    If you pick up one graphic novel to read this year, it definitely needs to be this one. I’m still trying to get my hands on Vol 2: Generation Why but my local bookstores never seem to have it in stock!

    Have you read any of the Ms Marvel comics featuring Kamala Khan? What did you think of them?

  • Some Thoughts on Tea and the Changing of the Seasons

    Some Thoughts on Tea and the Changing of the Seasons

    There are two things I have realized after brewing myself a cup of Teavivre’s Lu Shan Yun Wu Green Tea. First, all tea from Teavivre require a certain kind of care when brewing– the temperature of the water and the length of time you allow the leaves to steep are important, unlike the Twinnings tea bags I so recklessly over-steep. Second, I’m nearly incapable of giving my tea leaves the amount of attention they so very much deserve. So, after steeping my Lu Shan Yun Wu into oblivion and bitterness, I had to promptly pour it out and try something else. The second time around, I tried Xin Yang Mao Jian Green Tea, and the results were much better.

    I am fascinated by the Xin Yang Mao Jian tea leaves. They are dark green, straight tipped, and ever-so delightfully fuzzy– a sign that the leaves were picked in early spring. The dried leaves smelled vegetal and even a bit like nori, the dried seaweed you might find wrapped around maki sushi. I thought the flavor of the tea itself would be overwhelmingly savory, but I was surprised when floral, smoky, sweet notes were more prominent to me. This tea is most refreshing and perfect for a late spring or early summer day when the skies are blue and delicate blossoms from tree branches flutter about in breezes and the sun is just starting to warm up the wintertime air.

    And as much as I enjoyed Xin Yang Mao Jian, I felt disconnected from it because I can feel Autumn right around the corner. Even though it is still August, the mornings this week can best be described as “brisk” and the days for the most part are gloomy and overcast; somehow the melancholy of this season invigorates me. Then, Friday evening I stood out on my balcony to enjoy the cheers of the high school students and their families as the drumline’s cadence sauntered down the road, and for a little while, I felt nostalgic for my marching band days. I cannot wait for Autumn to truly settle in.

    What is Autumn like where you live? Are you excited that the season is right around the corner?

    Samples provided by Teavivre in exchange for an honest review.
  • This is a Five Star Review: The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

    This is a Five Star Review: The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

    The Carnival At Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

    Released: January 2014
    Publisher: Elephant Rock Productions, Inc.
    Age Group: Young Adult
    Add to Goodreads
    ★★★★★

    Synopsis: It’s 1993, and Generation X pulses to the beat of Kurt Cobain and the grunge movement. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Lynch is uprooted from big-city Chicago to a windswept town on the Irish Sea. Surviving on care packages of Spin magazine and Twizzlers from her rocker uncle Kevin, she wonders if she’ll ever find her place in this new world. When first love and sudden death simultaneously strike, a naive but determined Maggie embarks on a forbidden pilgrimage that will take her to a seedy part of Dublin and on to a life- altering night in Rome to fulfill a dying wish. Through it all, Maggie discovers an untapped inner strength to do the most difficult but rewarding thing of all, live.

    My Thoughts

    I finished reading the Carnival at Bray by Jessie Anne Foley last week, and I forced myself to not write a review immediately or even think too hard about star ratings because this book, my friends, was teetering on the fence between four stars and five stars. Let me be clear, this almost NEVER happens, so I needed the decision to be organic instead of one fueled by a book high. A week later, I find myself thinking that this book, without a doubt, is a five-star book. However, when I sat down to write the review, I was at a loss for words.

    I can tell you that you should read this book because it takes place in Ireland, and all books that take place in Ireland are instantly on my wish list. I can tell you that this book rocks a pretty great playlist because 90’s alternative music was boss. I can tell you this book tackles some pretty heavy issues like mental illness and divorce and sex and totally uprooting a family and flying it clear across an ocean for a fleeting moment of love. I can tell you that the prose is poetic without slipping into the realm of “purple prose”, that the author made a good choice by writing it in third person because it would probably become too melodramatic otherwise, that the narration seems stoic sometimes understated, which somehow only plays up the gravity of the conflicts Maggie, our main character, faces. I can tell you that every character is wonderfully developed and charming and utterly flawed. And…did I mention it takes place in Ireland?

    But, what I’m truly struggling with is verbalizing all of the abstract feelings I have about this book. I can’t adequately explain the light I felt emanating from me every night Maggie visited Dan Sean, an elderly Irishman, who somehow understood Maggie better than anyone else. Or when Maggie tasted freedom when chasing after Italy or Nirvana tickets or a boy she loved. Nor can I adequately explain how heavy my heart-felt when she was uprooted and transplanted in this foreign country where she was always the outsider. Or every time she was with that skeevy fellow, Paul. Or as she watched her uncle disintegrate. The Carnival at Bray is a fairly short novel at only 230 pages, yet it took me nearly two weeks to read because it was such an emotional novel; it’s like it knocked the wind right out of me every day I read the book.

    I only wish this book was around when I was 17 and not 27. It’s a coming of age novel I would have carried with me always like Stephan Chbosky’s the Perks of Being a Wallflower or Joe Meno’s Hairstyles of the Damned or Ellen Wittlinger’s Hard Love.

    Read this book. Read the Carnival at Bray because it’s real and it’s raw and Maggie’s story matters.

    [On an unrelated matter, I wasn’t really sure how to categorize this book. Is it contemporary fiction? Is it historical fiction? It’s pretty strange to think my childhood happened long enough ago that it could now be considered “historical”.]

  • A Saturday Morning Particular

    A Saturday Morning Particular

    My library days are turning in to quite a delightful routine. I wake up on Saturdays, shortly before my alarm goes off and usually to the sound of Jon getting ready for work. I always contemplate rolling back over and going to bed, but I manage to talk myself out of it, peel myself from the bed, and brew myself a cup of coffee. On this particular morning, I stood out on the balcony and enjoyed unseasonably crisp, morning air with my Maple-Walnut blend coffee, planning out the chores I needed to do for the day and then promptly tossing the idea away favoring a few hours with the blogosphere and a good book before the library opened instead.

    I usually get to the library shortly after it opens, but the parking lot is already getting full by then. This surprises me for some reason, but it also makes me happy. Today’s patrons were the usual library gamers who gab at each other while mowing down enemies and taking advantage of the library’s wi-fi and mothers with fussy children (who I discover do not annoy me in libraries like they do in restaurants– the children, not their mothers).

    This week, I chose 4 books with nothing in common:

    • Gotham Academy #1: Welcome to Gotham Academy, a graphic novel, by Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, and Karl Kerschl
    • New York: the Novel, a historical fiction…tome by Edward Rutherfurd. Seriously, I don’t know what I was thinking when I pulled this one from the stacks.
    • What We Talk About When We Talk About God, a non-fiction book about…you guessed it– God– by Rob Bell.
    • Kissing in America, a contemporary YA novel complete with a road trip (or so says the book cover) by Margo Rabb

    My next stop is the grocery store where I pick up soup, a pre-made chicken salad sandwich (because I think I’ve bought a loaf of bread once while at my new apartment, and all but six slices went to waste), and a bag of bon-bons. Then I return home and relish in good books and good soup.

    I intended to finish Bran New Death, a cozy mystery novel about murder and baked goods, which I picked up during my last library visit, but I was distracted by the new and shiny. Instead, I read Gotham Academy, which was fun in a novelty sort of way, and What We Talk about When We Talk About God, which I devoured in one sitting. How much I appreciated that book caught me by surprise.

    For not accomplishing much, this day was well-spent. I just wish I could stretch the afternoon out for 3 or 4 more hours more. On my library days I just feel so…at peace.