Book Review: 32 Candles

I love books where you can’t help but root for the protagonist to get their “happy ending” and 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter was definitely such a book for me. This sometimes funny, sometimes poignant story is about Davie Jones who lives in a small town in Mississippi and considers herself to be an “ugly duckling” (after being repeatedly told that she was ugly…). Davie’s sad childhood was punctuated by her abusive mother who had various personal issues that prevented her from having a healthy, loving relationship with her daughter.  As a means of escape from her unhappy home life and bullying by classmates, Davie reads books and watches Molly Ringwald movies; 16 Candles is her favorite. Davie also has a secret crush on a popular high school football player named James.

A mean-spirited prank by classmates causes Davie to leave everything she knows in Mississippi and move to California. The compelling story unfolds from there and readers get to see if Davie successfully gets her "Molly Ringwald style" happy ending.  I won’t say anything further about the book’s plot, but I will say that I definitely recommend this original story that was tied so seamlessly to the classic 80’s era teen film. After reading 32 Candles, I added the movie 16 Candles to my Netflix queue; I will admit that I don’t think I’ve seen the movie in its entirety so I really must remedy that soon!  Ernessa T. Carter has a distinctive literary voice and I look forward to seeing what else she writes.

Book Review: Half of a Yellow Sun

To be honest, it took me a while to read Half of a Yellow Sun though I've had it on loan from the library for weeks and had heard good things about it.  But once I got into the rhythm of the book, I couldn't put it down.  I felt invested in knowing what would happen to the characters and had to keep reading to find out how the book would end.  The book revolves around five characters during a civil war that took place in Nigeria during the 1960s in which the country of Biafra was formed. 

The characters of the novel include: (1) a teenage boy who later becomes a housekeeper (2) a university professor and employer of the teenage housekeeper with highly charged political ideals, (3) a woman who is in a relationship with the university professor, (4) her twin sister and, (5) a British expatriate who is in Nigeria to write a book about the culture and art of the Igbo people (this is the ethnic group of most of the main characters).  The war that ensues affects the characters in different ways and changes their lives forever.

A lot of the action in Half of a Yellow Sun revolve around war which is always devastating, but it was very well written and compelling.  I enjoy reading books that vividly describe a story within the context of actual historical events.  Before reading this book, I didn't know anything about the socio-political events of Nigeria (and Biafra) in the 1960s, but I'm now intrigued to read more about Nigerian history.  This book has its sad points, but also has the themes of love and perseverance integrated into the story.  I definitely recommend this book. 


Note: Please note that if graphic descriptions of war upset you, this book may not be for you. 

Book Review - Bad Day Magazine

Bad Day is quickly becoming one of my favourite magazines. Bad Day, a quarterly arts publication founded in Toronto, focuses on Canadian and international artists. What draws me to Bad Day is its interview format. The text is raw, rather than perfected written prose, and it's always so fascinating to read how articulate these artists are. They explain their works so fluently and beautifully, which I find to be a big inspiration. This issue features artists ( such as Steven Shearer, Tauba Auerbach, David Shrigley and Tomi Ungerer), music video director Mike Mills, music reviewer Andrew Kuo, and furniture designer Martino Gamper. An awesome summer read that you can check out by clicking here.

Book Review - Worn Journal

I got the recent issue of Worn Journal in the mail after the long mail strike wait but it was definitely worth it. This issue has loads of good stuff including the history of gay fashion, some wicked photo shoots, book reviews, interviews with the graphic designer of Harper's Bazaar, and tips on how to identify the pattern your wearing (I discovered I have a love of "paisley"). The issues just keep getting better and better and this one has more colour pages than ever. You can pick one up at Victoire and other place around Ottawa or you can check out their website by clicking here.