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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

What I read in September

I kind of lost my reading mojo this month so the books read list is short. Some of my reading mojo left due to editing my novel and my brain didn't want to read and edit different novels. However, it feels like my mojo may be coming back, if only to read graphic novels. 

Surfacing by Margaret Atwood
A reread. One of the many favorite novels I had planned to reread for my birthday month but it's the only one I read. It's less than 200 pages but took me almost 3 weeks to read - with no reading mojo, I really had to force myself to read. This might be the first Atwood novel I read. I think my sister had read it for a university course than gave it to me to read when I was in high school. I can still remember sitting in the school library reading it. It's still great and a little weird. You never know the name of the main character. The novel is about a woman who returns to her childhood home with three friends to try and find her missing father. The home is a rustic cabin on an island. Truths about her past come out and she kind of losses her mind. I still highly recommend it and glad I reread it. I had forgotten enough of the details to make it really interesting to read.
I hope to reread one favourite novel a month and share them here.

Charm by Sarah Pinborough
This is part of a trilogy and is a retelling of the Cinderella story. I had thought this book would make a good selection for our mother-daughter book club but there was too much sex stuff in it. Overall, it was okay. I had another book from the trilogy home from the library, started it and decided I had better things to do and returned it. It was a nice change but it just wasn't my thing. I like the idea of playing with fairytales and changing them up a bit but I didn't love this retelling. Someone else might, just a warning about the sexual content.

Fables: Legends in Exile - Graphic Novel
Keeping with the fairy tale theme, this is the first in a series of graphic novels about fairy tales and the characters being forced to live in our world but wanting to be back in theirs. Some characters are able to blend in, others obviously aren't and live on a "farm" in the country. Some characters were able to pay witches and are made to look human. The Big Bad Wolf is now Bigby, a detective. Snow White is the deputy mayor and basically runs everything. A great, quick read that I really enjoyed. Recommended by my husband to me, and I'd recommend it to you.

Fables: Animal Farm - Graphic Novel
This is the second in the Fables series. Another great, quick read. This one took place on the "farm" where all the fairy tale characters live that couldn't fit into society, think giants, three little pigs, the three bears, etc... Several of them revolt, planning to invade and eventually take back their fairytale lands from the "Adversary" who kicked them out. I don't know much about the Adversary yet and I'm looking forward to learning more. I won't spoil the ending by telling you what happens during the revolt but it's good. 
One thing I really like about the Fables series so far is the strong women. Snow White is in charge in the City. Her sister, Rose Red, becomes a strong character by the end of the second book. And Goldilocks is leader of the revolt (who knew she'd do that). It's nice to see female characters in a graphic novel who aren't toppling over with cleavage. They also have brains and aren't afraid to use them. 

So, what have you been reading? 

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