No Bulls#!t Guide to Kobo Touch

Every day I am being asked same questions about Kobo Touch. Many people, when facing a technical problem with the device, turn to Google to find a solution. Some video reviews from the manufacturer that I’ve seen focus too much on unneccessary details like the location of on and off button or the purpose of the main screen menu. Seriously, I think we can figure that out on our own time, tell me what to do once the thing’s turned on and malfunctioning. This is where blogs come into play by providing an unbiased opinion and advise. Rather than trying to answer these question separately, I decided to utilize my blog a bit and release some of my experience into the masses. That said, I do not consider myself an expert in any way, but at the same time I am not afraid to experiment with Kobo to fix any problems that might arise. Now, let’s get moving.

1. Is Kobo Touch backlit and how can I read in the dark?

No, Kobo Touch uses eInk technology, which simulates the look of real paper, and is much easier on the eyes than backlit standard screens. It allows a reader to enjoy the book for hours nonstop, even in a bright sunlight thanks to its non-reflective surface. Also, it saves on battery life, and depending on your usage, might last up to several weeks. The major downside of eInk screen is of course the fact that you can’t read the book at night without an external light source. However, many major retailers like Chapters or Best Buy sells Kobo covers with a built-in light, or a clip-on devices that make night reading possible. These run on separate batteries, unfortunately, so it might not be as cost effective.

2. Can I buy my books from iTunes using an iTunes card? Can I upload iBook purchases on my Kobo?

The answer to the first question is “no, you can’t”. The reason being the fact that Kobo app on any Apple device operates separately from iTunes. Therefore, your payment information stored in iTunes is not available to the app whenever you want to purchase a book. The first time you buy something through Kobo you have to fill out your credit card information (which is I guess a drawback for people relying on the prepaid cards). As for the second question, I have to reply in a more vague manner. Technically it is possible, but legal limitations of digital industry prevents you from doing that without some major work involved. The problem lies with DRM protection that makes sharing of ebooks impossible for an average reader. So unless you know how to crack DRM, my advice to you would be to stick to one device.

3. My Kobo is stuck on processing the content…

It happened to me twice before. The first time the glitch happened, Kobo’s software didn’t have the ability to show percentage yet, so I wasn’t sure if it was just processing at very low speed, or if it was really stuck. After waiting all night to see any improvement, I figured it was up to me finish the process. The easiest way to fix the issue is to reset the device. On the top of Kobo, not too far from the on/off slider, you will see a tiny hole. Take any pin, insert, and wait for the screen to flash and restart. This way you will not lose any books, and Kobo will just redo the processing as soon as it’s back on. In case the problem reoccurs after the reset, a corrupt or invalid file you’re trying to transfer might be at fault. Shut down Kobo, remove the SD memory card and try restarting again. You might have to delete the file using some other device (like a cell phone) off of the memory card. This is a pretty rare issue, because Kobo is usually great with accepting all kinds of file formats. If your software is pretty old and it doesn’t show the progress of processing, keep in mind that Kobo takes its time to complete the job, especially if you’ve just transferred a large number of books. In this case, just be patient; reset only if you see no progress after 30 minutes or so.

4. Is Kobo Touch available in different colors? Which one should I get?

I am surprised to see this question coming up sometimes, because there is really no difference which color you choose as it doesn’t affect performance. Personal preference is the key here. For the curious, Kobo comes in all black, all white, and a variation of white frame and blue or lavender quilting on the back. Which one did I get? Because I am revealing this top secret information, you have to promise not to tell anyone. My Kobo has a white frame and a lavender back. Love it!

5. Where do I get books?

Since I cannot recommend you pirate sources for obvious reasons, you have to rely on your own knowledge. However, there are thousands upon thousands of free books available on websites specializing in public domain books. Besides, classics are the best anyway. If you wanted to read any Austen or Zola, or Stoker, they all can be located for free and ready to enjoy. Usually I use Project Gutenberg, ManyBooks, or ePubBooks, and find amazing forgotten treasures of the past there.

This is everything I can think of right now, but I am sure questions about Kobo are endless. If there is anything specific you wanted me to address that is not listed here, please let me know, and I will do my best to answer it within the limits of my amateur knowledge. Enjoy and read on!

Novel: The Outsiders

Author: S. E. Hinton, 1967
Genre: Coming-of-age, Young Adult
Format: Ebook, 102 pages

“When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home…”

This book found its way into my hands from the unlikeliest of sources – my boyfriend. The thing is, my honey has never been much of a reader, and in all the years that I’ve known him we never really talked about books. He would patiently listen to me rant about the latest favorite, but never lead the conversation. That is until a couple of months ago, when we were sitting at a charity hockey game, he mentioned that one book that has touched him the most was The Outsiders which he had to read for school. I absolutely had to check it out!

The Outsiders tells a story about two socially-divided rival gags, who are constantly at war with each other. Ponyboy, who is the narrator of this story, belongs to Greasers – rebels and outcasts from working class background. His family includes his two greaser brothers and a whole bunch of unwanted boys from all kinds of roads of life. Ponyboy is very different from the rest of the gang, excelling at school and being on a track team. The only people he can relate and open up to are his cheerful and carefree brother Sodapop and quiet Johnny. Other boys are mostly school dropouts with extensive criminal records, who pride themselves for being tough to the point of feeling nothing. Nevermind these differences, the Greasers are tight and look out for each other like a real family.

“He’s so greasy he glides when he walks. He goes to the barber for an oil change, not a haircut.”

On the other side of the rivalry are the Socs – the privileged kids from the West side. They ride around the town in expensive cars and pick fights with Greasers for no reason. Socs never get punished for their malicious behavior because society likes to see Greasers as the source of the problem. The rich kids get a slap on the wrist, and sometimes their parents pay off authorities to get them out of hot water. In this world of utter lack of consequences lives Bob, the leader of a local Socs gang. Before the events of the novel we learn that Bob an his buddies beat up shy Johnny to the point that the kid is terrified of his own shadow. This sets out a chain of events that leads to major war between the rivals and finally to a tragic event that sends Ponyboy and Johnny on the run from the police.

The book sends a powerful message about the society’s impact on the kids. Ponyboy’s brothers and friends are forced to grow up too soon; they know how to live on the street and fend for themselves. Darryl, the narrator’s eldest brother, has to forget his dreams of going to college after their parents die in order to raise his two siblings. He lets Sodapop be himself and fool around, but is being extra tough on Ponyboy, because he sees great potential in the youngster. While Ponyboy is destined to get out of this hopeless life someday, he knows that his friends will perish on the streets with nobody to remember them; and the society is OK with that. He writes this story to tell people that Greasers are also humans, who hurt and love, and suffer, but know no other way of life besides the one the society imposes on them.

“But I remembered Dally pulling Johnny through the window of the burning church; Dally giving us his gun, although it could mean jail for him; Dally risking his life for us, trying to keep Johnny out of trouble. And now he was a dead juvenile delinquent and there wouldn’t be any editorials in his favor. Dally didn’t die a hero. He died violent and young and desperate, just like we all knew he’d die someday.”

If you want to see real Grease world beyond the colorful musical with John Travolta, this is the book for you. It will make you cry, it will make you angry, but it will also leave in your mind a bittersweet memory of the lost boys nobody appreciated.

Novel: Oscar Wilde and The Candlelight Murders (UK) A Death of No Importance (US) [The Oscar Wilde Mysteries #1]

Author: Gyles Brandreth, 2007
Genre: Crime, Mystery
Format: Ebook, 245 pages

I have no idea why US publishers often change a book’s title when bringing it over to North America. Maybe they think it would market better, but for me it just makes no sense. I got attracted to this mystery novel because of its bright yellow cover that is published in the UK, and the infamous Oscar Wilde as a main character, not the title. Moreover, in this book Oscar is not just a dashing, dazzling socialite who writes amazing literature, but also a cunning amateur detective who takes on investigating a death that only he knows about. The Candlelight Murders open with Oscar arriving on 23 Crowley St in London to meet with a student, only to find a ritualistically murdered young male prostitute lying on the floor. Horrified to recognize his friend Billy Wood in the dead youth, he flees the scene and waits another day before telling his friend Robert Sherard about the incident.

The book is filled with real-life celebrities like the mentioned Robert Sherard, who was a prominent poet and a friend of Oscar Wilde. Robert serves a sort of Doctor Watson role to Oscar, being the narrator and a chronicler of the events. The reader sees the story unfold through his eyes, which leaves a lot of Oscar’s activity in the shadow. We must suffer from curiosity and get confused by the writer’s shenanigans along with Robert, which makes the dynamics of the plot very similar to Sherlock Holmes novels. Coincidentally, Arthur Conan Doyle is also featured in the book. He has just published his first novel, – A Study in Scarlet – and is introduced to Oscar. Mr. Wilde is so enamored with his new friend, that he constantly compares himself to Sherlock and even boasts of some influences over the character. There are other famous people mentioned here and there, but these two play the most important role in this mystery.

I do have a bit of a problem with Oscar Wilde playing at Sherlock Holmes here like he invented the character. Upon meeting Conan Doyle for the first time, Oscar dazzles him with deductive skills by guessing Arthur’s destination and purpose after the meeting. Conan Doyle is obviously impressed and somehow shocked by his friend’s deducing ability, but why should he be? Why would Conan Doyle be taken aback like Doctor Watson was upon Sherlock’s amazing ability to guess the brand of cigars by the traces of ashes, when he himself uses the method in his books? The real Arthur would probably just laugh and congratulate Oscar for being such a careful reader. Also, the declaration that Arthur is going to base Mycroft Holmes’s character on Wilde is pretty farfetched, not to mention unnecessary. I did not enjoy Conan Doyle being such an Osar Wilde fanboy.

The mystery itself was pretty good. I usually rate crime books based on how easily and when I can guess the culprit (not that I consider myself a genius, but it’s nice to remain in the dark for as long as possible). In this case, I wasn’t particularly sure about the identity of the murderer until shortly before the big reveal, which is great. Also, I wasn’t aware of the accomplice until some suspicions began rising in my head during the final scene. The subject matter, however, left me a bit puzzled. The Candlelight Murders featured homosexuality frequently and heavily, even deriving the entire murder plot from it. While Oscar Wilde was pretty famous for his trial based on alleged gay tendencies, I found that this literary representation of him is very detached from homosexuality altogether, being described as a committed husband and father. In the book, he explained his involvement with Billy Wood and another male prostitute as purely platonic. Oscar confessed to admire their young beauty, innocence, and talent, but claimed no involvement with them sexually. It is hard to judge whether the real Oscar Wilde was a homosexual or not, especially considering the times where a lot of artists had a very different take on homosexuality compared to the modern definition. Nevertheless, it felt that the author took a bit of an easy way, trying to appeal to the major public by masking gay with fatherly love.

To add on a more positive note, since I did enjoy reading The Candlelight Murders, I have to mentioned that the author really captured Oscar Wilde’s language and manners. It seems that substantial research was put into the book, including actual quotes from Oscar himself. Here are some examples of Wilde-isms, some real and some imaginative:

• “To win back my youth,” Oscar continued, unabashed, “there is nothing I would not do – except, of course, take exercise, rise early or give up alcohol.” p. 81
• “His father was a carpenter,” said Oscar; “we shall assume his mother was a virgin.” p. 100
• The mind’s eye is not a camera; it is an artist’s brush. It provides no photographic record, alas. It can bring back the colour of the day, the feeling of the moment, but the detail is all gone. p. 155
• “Prayers must never be answered, Robert! If prayers are answered, they cease to be prayers and become correspondence…” p. 207

Nonfiction: Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? From Science to Supernatural, the Many Mysteries of Indiana Jones

Author: Lois H. Gresh and Robert Weinberg, 2008
Genre: Speculative Nonfiction, Humor
Format: Paperback, 264 pages

I mentioned previously that I love popular science, along with pop culture and history. I also LOVE anything to do with Indiana Jones! In fact, I’ve had a huge crush on Harrison Ford as long as I could remember thanks to the movies. When I found out about the existence of this marvelous book that promised to combine all of the mentioned interests of mine, I knew I had to get it and pronto! Basically the authors took all three original Indiana Jones movies and picked it apart for various factoids they wanted to discuss. As a result, we got ourselves a book that tries to answer questions like, Do gigantic rolling boulders really exist? or, Which famous archeologists of the past might have inspired Indy’s character?

When I started reading the book, however, I was getting an uneasy feeling that it did not exactly deliver on its promises. The first part was quite exciting, especially given the fact that it is based on my least favorite movie out of the three – Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark. I picked up a few very interesting facts and wrote down potential topics I would have liked to research more. I learned about Hiram Bingham who discovered Machu Picchu and whose autobiography on the event I would love to read. I also found out about Percy Harrison Fawcett, who was looking for a lost city in the Amazon that he referred to simply as “Z”, only to disappear forever in the jungle. The exciting tale even prompted me to put “The Lost City of Z” by Davis Grann on my to-be-read list. I would love to learn more about Roy Chapman Andrews who led expeditions to Gobi Desert and Mongolia and survived wild animals and bandits alike, all while making groundbreaking discoveries.

But the further I read, the less convincing the book sounded. It made me doubt the authors’ expertise when they repeatedly stated incorrect facts from the movies. In one such example, they were recalling a scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, where singer Willie Scott is running around the jungle terrified of different animals she encounters, while Indy and Short Round are arguing about cheating in a game of cards. The authors state that Willie mistook a python for an elephant trunk and, when realized her mistake, screamed in terror. In reality Willie never found out that the alleged trunk was actually a snake, but rather threw it off her shoulder as annoyance. If the authors were actual fans of the movie, they surely would have remembered the hilarious ending to one of the funniest scenes in The Temple of Doom. Instead, they just came off as incompetent writers hired to put together a book in time for the release of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

And speaking of incompetence, Gresh and Weinberg mentioned in the book that they both worked as college instructors in the past. If so, why was the book so poorly put together? Many sentences are badly structured, facts are jumbled and sometimes repeated in one paragraph several times just by rephrasing them, and don’t get me started on research. Half through the book I decided to check out the bibliography and was horrified to find that most research came from Wikipedia and similar online resources. Isn’t the first thing that students are taught about research is to never use non-scholarly sources? I could get on Wiki myself, read a bunch of articles written by other nonprofessionals, sum it all up, and send it all out to a publisher for a nice paycheck. I wanted to see actual scientific research, but found pure speculation and tale-telling. Was it entertaining to read? Yes. Did I pick up a few ideas for further reading? Absolutely. Can I trust everything the book says? Not a chance. Good thing I borrowed it from the library, where it’s going to go back next week and never return.

Project: I read Murakami

I was sitting around the other day and thinking about the ways to shake up my reading routine. On one hand I love challenges, but never do all that well with deadlines or reading tons in one year. I am not a person who has enough time to participate in such fun blogging events like readathons, and I am not a speed-reader. What I do like is a feeling of an accomplishment (who doesn’t?). My favorite part of using Kobo, for example, is all kinds of achievements I can receive for reading; trying to collect them all became a goal of its own in a way. On top of that, I have a passion for designing and tweaking things in Photoshop. If you haven’t already guessed where I am going with this, I would like to introduce a reward system to this blog.

Instead of waiting for somebody to pat me on the back and appreciate all the hard work I put into this project, I am going to appreciate myself in a form of awarding the blog a badge. There could be countless reasons to celebrate small achievements, like finishing a series, or reading the entire bibliography of an author. If I want to read 3 horror novels before Halloween and eventually succeed, why not celebrate with a little button? Many bloggers would say that there are group challenges for that, but like I mentioned before, I cannot commit myself to a deadline. When I finish, there is going to be a badge waiting for me in the end.

For my very first project, I am aiming to read five books by Haruki Murakami. Well, I cheated a little bit, because I am right now on my fifth book! Nevertheless, once it is done I can move on to a higher level of reward by reading five more books, and so on and so forth. I have a few more projects in mind, but it is not time to reveal them just yet. This particular badge is depicting a cat, because like many of Murakami’s fans know, he features these animals in a lot of his books. Whenever it is awarded, it will be displayed above in one of the pages. There are no deadlines and no restrictions, just plain old fun! Isn’t it exciting? I can already feel my reading senses tingling!

Novel: Pride and Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen, 1813
Genre: Romance, Satire
Format: Ebook, 258 pages

Dear Elizabeth,

May I heartily congratulate you on your recent marriage to Mr. Darcy. I cannot lie and pretend that I ever doubted the fact that you were meant for each other. The very first pages of the book betrayed your attraction, thinly masked by presumed dislike of him. Not that I accuse you of any kind of pretense on your behalf, and I do admit that you thoroughly believed to despise the man after hearing such terrible things about him. Instead, I blame Jane Austen, who made you fall into a typical romance stereotype (believe me, I do not tend to offend the great writer whom I admire so, but rather state my immediate reaction).

You see it all the time in modern romance novels: he is untamed, rich, and almost criminally handsome; no woman is to satisfy him until he meets HER. And I write it with capital letters, because Elizabeth, you’re a capital woman. You’re pretty, and perhaps not as beautiful as your sister Jane, but your main attribute is your cunning brain. You are plain and direct in your words, and carry yourself above the frivolous past-times of other air headed ladies. No, you do not see the benefit of painting or playing the piano, and you do not think these skills make a perfect wife. In fact, you are not willing to settle for a good-on-paper husband who does not stimulate you intellectually. Mr. Collins got to know your preferences first hand, and I must say I pitied and laughed at the poor schmuck. On the other hand I must admit to wondering how likely your character to exist for the times you live in. Look at Lydia, your little sister, whose main objective is to beat her other siblings to the punch and to elope with a random officer she believes to be her one and only. Speaking of which, I do hope she learns her lesson sooner, rather than later, and stops being so annoying.

Could you ever be destined to marry Mr. Bingley? Of course not, the overly good and somewhat naive man suits Jane much better. They are both nauseatingly positive and lack any faults that make them remotely human. Why won’t Jane punch that obnoxious Caroline in the face when she is revealed to be a scheming snob? Why can’t she admit to being played and manipulated as a friend? How come Mr. Bingley is so easily convinced by Darcy of Jane’s indifference without seeking proof? Gosh, the two of them need to grow some balls! No, these two porcelain dolls belong on high shelf together.

This brings me back on track to speak of Darcy. Do I really believe that he is suddenly taken by you after calling you “average” at the ball? Not really, but then again it is probably when you opened your mouth that Darcy singled you out from the crowd of fluttering ladies around him. When he proposes in the middle of the book, it is obvious that something ain’t right since the story would be over too soon. No, first of all he has to suffer for his arrogance and pride, so you reject him on the spot! Lo and behold, Darcy is not pulling an average man by trying to pretend nothing has happened or ignoring the embarrassing situation, but rather tries to turn himself into a better gentleman. You clever romance ladies like the sound of shattering male ego, don’t you? After selflessly trying to help your family in secret after Lydia’s crazy affair, he finally earns your love and every possible couple in the book gets engaged on the same day.

My dear Elizabeth, do not think that my cynical letter is written to hurt you. On the contrary, I have to admit that your story tugged on my girly heartstrings, and the rant is just a defensive reaction covering up the sappy side of me that I dislike. However, Pride & Prejudice managed to seduce me better than Mr. Darcy could ever seduce you. And because I know such conversation is probably making you blush, I must stop here. I send my love and affection to you, and promise to never read any sequels that are published in abundance every year.

Forever your literary stalker,
A.

Clarissa Readalong [Sign-Up]

Author: Samuel Richardson, 1748
Genre: Epistolary, Drama
Format: Ebook, 9 volumes

Have you ever been intimidated by a really long book? How about tackling one of the longest novels ever written? If your knees are shaking even at the thought of such a mammoth, you are in the right place. Today we shall talk about Clarissa. Samuel Richardson’s epic story of love and betrayal is pushing a million words, and I would perhaps never have had enough courage to read it. The premise seems very interesting, focusing on a girl whose family’s main goal is to prosper financially and to become aristocrats. In a desperate attempt to live life the way she wants, she elopes with a rich, but dangerous man. His facade of charm is soon dropped to reveal a true monster who would stop at nothing to possess the virtuous girl, and he resorts to lies and even rape to force her to marry him.

How will I ever approach this lengthy masterpiece? Luckily for me, Terri and JoAnn are both hosting a readalong that would last the entire year. Because Clarissa is composed of a series of letters exchanged between the characters, there is a fun twist that makes it easier for scaredy-cats like myself to participate. The goal is to read each letter on the corresponding date it is addressed in the book, with the first one falling on January 10th and the last one on December 18. I drafted out a quick reading schedule and noticed that first two months are fairly easy to complete given the small number of letters written. The book becomes rather intense by March, and that’s when I am afraid I can lose my ground. Hopefully, things will go as planned and I will proudly finish 2012 with a great classic crossed off my list.

Plans for 2012. A post of not exactly New Year’s resolutions.

It’s hard to believe that 2011 is gone already. I was just getting in the reading groove, and now it is time to write up some conclusions. I have been blogging here on and off for about three years, the process being a roller coaster journey. I started out as a reader lacking any kind of direction, not sure of my own tastes and picking up a book if it sounded good in the blurb on the back cover. There were so many books around me, I did not know where to start. 2011 became a year when I shaped myself into a more conscious reader. I realized that I could never read everything ever written; therefore I had to find an area to concentrate on. Classic books appealed to me the most, but I was not about to call myself a classic book blogger. I was never fond of labels. I wanted to read books that felt special to me, and I wanted to deviate from my main path without feeling guilty. I needed to step away sometimes from a “smart” book and read a “silly” one. Confused about my choices? I told you, defining myself as a reader is a journey, I haven’t reached the destination yet. As for what I would like to achieve in 2012, here’s my testimony:

• I aim to read more. Last year the blog saw only about seventeen books; so pitiful. I had a hard time outlining which ones exactly would fall into a classic category. On one hand there were a few very traditional classics (ie. Pride and Prejudice), but I also had a few older works that usually are left out from such lists (ie. The Happy Return). This year I would like to read at least thirty books, with most of them being classics. There is going to be a leeway for fun modern reads, but I do not want the number to go over 30%.
• I promise myself to read more obscure authors. If it is a 19th century ghost story nobody has heard of, send it my way. If it is a vampire tale predating Dracula, count me in. I want to expand my vision of what a true classic book should be like. Just because everyone forgot about its existence, it doesn’t mean the book is not worthy of my attention.
• I vow to get to the books I started in 2011 and never finished. This includes Nana, The Three Musketeers, and The Moonstone. It is time I cross them off my list. Besides, I am tired of seeing the Collins title sitting on my right sidebar for the last six months. All these books were wonderful, so who knows why I stopped reading them.
• I resolve to use the library to its full extent. Interlibrary loan better be scared. Today I went and renewed my library card. Gosh, I forgot how nice it is to browse around the library.
• I swear to try my best and read at a pace of about a book a week, as well as post about my progress more often. Perhaps this blog will see more frequent postings compared to the years past. I was never really fond of posting anything outside of final thoughts on a book, but perhaps 2012 will change that. Stats, lists, projects? Who knows.

As a bonus, here are some books I am excited to get to this year:

HAPPY READING!

Short Story: Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Author: Michael Bishop, 2011
Genre: Science Fiction, Symmetrina
Format: Published at Tor.com

I can’t quite remember how I came across this particular short story. I have never heard of Tor.com, which turned out to be an interesting blog on science fiction and fantasy to follow. Perhaps I was looking for some short stories published by new to me writers to get some fresh literary blood in my system. Immediately I was intrigued by the accompanying art, featuring an octopoid engaged in reading multiple books. Even though I cannot consider myself a great fan of sci-fi literature, I found the story to be very original. Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes is rather artsy and abstract for everyday consumption, but can be interesting food for thought for the lovers of language play.

The story is an example of symmetrina – a curious mathematical approach to writing. The rules are simple in theory, but when it comes to the execution it could be quite a challenge. The whole work is basically a collection of shorter narratives. It must have a title that conveys the overall common theme between the parts, but not directly reveals it. It must have at least seven sections, with each one having a separate title as well. The first and last parts have to be written in the first person, while the second and the second-to-last must be in second-person narrative. All other parts are written in third person. The toughest part comes next, as each section must have a multiple of n words, following a mathematical sequence of doubling (ie. 100, 200, 400, etc) or Fibonacci (ie. 100, 100, 200, 300, 500, etc). Once the narrative reaches its middle and longest part, the number of words must be reversed according to the same sequence. The result is a stunningly symmetric work, where the structure and rhythm of words is just as important as plot and character.

Bishop’s Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes jumps through time and space and I will not pretend to understand it thoroughly. What I assume it does here, is follow a story of a boy who grows up in a shadow of his admired peer, referred to as Big D or Degas among other names. As time progresses, we witness a great war between the colonists of Mars and alien creatures that look like giant octopuses but with seven appendages. Thanks to the brilliant surgeon DiCorso (Big D?), many wounded humans are treated by attaching the octopods’ body parts and vice versa, merging the two warring species into one. The boy, who always admired and envied him, is turned into one of such creations. My favorite part is probably the description of the boy’s (I am assuming his name is Dai) house that he builds out books by great authors. His staircase is made out of heavy encyclopedia volumes upon which he can sit and read as his heart desires.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes require a little bit of attention and time because of its unique nature. I do think it deserves to be reread several times to fully appreciate its content. The story makes me want to read more science fiction in the future. It’s about time I expanded my horizons! Perhaps some Asimov or Gibson next time?

Novel: The Hunger Games [The Hunger Games #1]

Author: Suzanne Collins, 2008
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction
Format: Ebook, 257 pages

I’ve been reading a lot of series lately, as you might have noticed, which is a rather unusual trend for me. I also never paid much attention to young adult genre, as I usually find it too cheesy for my tastes (no offense intended to the millions of fans of the genre). However, I do pay attention to other bloggers who have been buzzing about The Hunger Games trilogy for years. Not knowing much about the books except that it included a bunch of teens killing each other, I decided to take a leap of faith and humor myself with a quick read. Well, quick wasn’t a word, because I finished the first installment in one weekend. It was hard to put down. Yes, it had its distinctive YA flavor of predictability, but I paid it little attention thanks to dynamic plot and never-ending action.

The Hunger Games refers to a yearly event initiated by the government of post-apocalyptic society of Panem. A boy and a girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen are randomly chosen from each of twelve districts to participate in a fight to the death, similar to how Romans used to entertain themselves with gladiator battles. The reason why the government organizes these games is apparently to punish the districts for revolting against the Capitol once upon a time and to prevent any future rebellion by showcasing their power over Panem citizens. The lead character is Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-old who volunteers to take her younger sister’s place as a “tribute” to the game. Along with her, Peeta Mellark is chosen as a second representative from the district. Katniss doesn’t know much about Peeta except that they go to the same school, that he is a son of a local baker, and that he had given her bread years ago when her family was starving.

Everybody wants to be Katniss Everdeen. She is a perfect strong female character that all those awkward and shy girls would love to picture themselves as. Katniss is independent, excels at what she does (hunting), has a somewhat tragic past that seems oh-so-romantic. She is one of the guys, yet doesn’t lose her femininity. She is unaware of the effect she has on the boys, and doesn’t seem to care. The only boy problem she ever has is which one to choose as her suitor. Katniss sacrifices herself for her sister; again, she is too noble for mortal faults like selfishness and cowardice. She is too perfect for my taste, but I do realize that I am reading a first-person narrative and must take every word with a grain of salt. Perhaps Katniss’ overall goodness is just a figment of her own imagination. But then again, considering the genre, I do not expect the characterization to go deeper than “as is.”

Of course, there is a love triangle. In fact, it is the romantic plotline that drives me insane when looking back on the book. It is outright silly and cliched. The girl has a male best friend, who drops hints here and there that he sort of likes her. The girl writes it off as her imagination. The girl goes to war against another boy, who obviously has been in love with her for ages and even proclaims it on public television. The girl again writes it off as a plan for survival. Gosh Katniss, you’re so blind! There are a few of cheesy romantic scenes that are supposed to appeal to the girly side of me, but kind of make me want to gag. You can smell the premise for the central relationship from the very first few chapters. Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless. That being said, I am looking forward to the development of the triangle, as one side hasn’t played much of a role just yet.

Past the bad, I would like to cheer for the good parts of the book. The moment Katniss steps into the arena, I get so excited! She outruns fire, escapes poisonous mutant bees, sabotages an enemy camp, and teams up with unlikely allies. Every step is an adventure, whether it is an action-packed outmaneuvering of other tributes or a quiet day in search of food. Once the games begin, I cannot find a single moment, when I get bored and feel like skipping a page or two. It was pretty easy to predict who the winner was, but I wasn’t sure about Peeta’s destiny until the very end (well, I knew what was supposed to happen to him according to YA rules, but I was still hoping for something less obvious). Overall, I loved every moment of it. Also, Collins’ description of different food prepared in her fictional world made my mouth water. I should get myself a physical copy of the book, if I find one on a good sale somewhere, as I would love to reread it again sometime in the future.