Speed Review: The good kind.

Title: The Fox

Status: Love #2

Author: Frédéric Brrémaud, Federico Bertolucci

Genre: Graphic Novel, Animals

General Thoughts: Lovely and true

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

The Fox is not your typical story. And it's not really a story. It's more than that. The Fox is about life. The Fox is about family. The Fox is about survival. The Fox is the story that you'll love, without too much complicatio. In the point of view of wild life, we see all this and more.

Have I ever told you how wonderful foxes are? Actually, animals in general? They now everything and everyone, don't over complicate themselves, and have their priorities straight. They don't follow the rules of time and they have the biggest and truest capability to love.

For me, this novel was just that. Animals in their truest form. No story, no background or intricate plot needed. Just the true.

And the design in the drawing was insane. So beautiful and detailed. And not only the characters but the ambient. It all had so many details and was so carefully crafted. Not some random scrambles likes some of today's graphic novels.

Read it. Seriously. It is necessary. (not really but pretty please)

Title: Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection

Status: Collection

Author: The Awkward Yeti, Nick Seluk

Genre: Graphic Novel, Humor

General Thoughts: Gotta love the good ol' heart and brain

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Heart and Brain is the collection of small comics of two comical characters we all know well. Heart and Brain. Taking a satirical spin to them, they talk about real life situations from the point of view of each organ and what their function is. This results in a funny, endearing comic strip that'll have you laughing out loud!

This was a really nice read. I mean, I love seeing satirical versions of what my heart and brain would be like. I think they represented them exactly as they are. The heart naive and reckless, but with true feelings and the drive for the better. The brain logical and responsible, but with flaws as minimum feelings and others like procrastination. None of them was better than the other and both as importante as each other.

And I loved that sometimes it wouldn't just be a funny, ironical or sarcastic joke presented, but that they added some small little moments of deep thinking and important messages.

I really like the Awkward Yeti. The only thing I would have like to see more was the other organs as well. So much heart and brain could be a little boring. Specially because the format was always the same and it could get repetitive.

But great bind up. Love to read more.

Title: Ashes

Status: Stand Alone

Author: Mario Candelaria

Genre: Graphic Novel, Daily Life

General Thoughts: Nice little book

Rating: 2.5/5 stars.

Ashes is the story of Matt, that while living a wonderful successful life, falls in hard times, and the story that follows, while trying to get his life back. Ashes gives a voice to those unnamed heroes that fight for our lives daily, and that not always win. This is what happens after one of those such days.

I loved that this novel centered around fire fighters. I think that they're underestimated most of the time. We don't give them enough credit, really. They put themselves at risk to save our lives. And sincerely, we don't do our best to help.

This is where Matt's story falls in. He suffered a horrific faith that doesn't fall anywhere near just, but there all the same. It was wonderful to see him overcome his anger and sadness over loosing it all, and manage to see beyond it and see all the people that loved him.

I think it's an important book for both the firefighters, because it brings awareness towards them, and people, because it shows that motivation, dedication, hard work and time can do wonders.

The only thing is that it wasn't the most interesting things to read. It read pretty bland and it lacked the suspense and drama. It needed a little more narrative.

And I wasn't a fan of the art design. All that black was sometimes hard to outline. And it didn't help with the overall presentation of the book. Like, if you're going to do it in b&w, at least let me see it.

Great book, you should read it, even if for the sake of knowing about the firefighters cause.

Small disclaimer section.

Due to it being an ARC, I won't put the first lines.

I received this copy in exchange of an honest review, for so, none of my feelings were affected or biased by the author or publisher.

Speed Review: Latinoamerica, mi mundo.

Title: 16 Cuentos Latinoamericanos
Status: Compilation

Author: Various Authors

Genre: Romance, Fiction

General Thoughts: Great and wonderful short stories.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

This is a collection of short stories by various Latin American authors, one for each country, focusing on the theme of youth and young people.

I just read a few stories, three or four, but equally good.

I read A Hunch by Mario Benedetti. I found it very funny and well written.

Then I read Miss Cora by Julio Cortázar, I found it most beautiful and cute until it reaches the end, that left me impressed and gave me a 360 degree turn. This writer is usually like this. The way the story is written I found very funny and interesting, and even imagining the Argentine accent.

Then I read One of These Days by Gabriel García Márquez, who in my opinion was the shortest, but at the same time, more to the point. Comic, tough and sarcastic. Much like Garcia Marquez.

Finally, I read A Gift for Julia by Francisco Massiani, from my native country Venezuela, which is why I read it. It felt great to read all the places here referenced. And the story is frustrating and well known. The final gave me some creeps, but the story in general was good.

And it seemed appropriate to do this review in Spanish, as this are Latin American stories.

Review in Spanish.

Una colección de pequeñas historias por varios autores latinoamericanos, uno por cada país, centradas sobre el tema de la juventud y los jóvenes.

Solo me leí unas cuantas historias, tres o cuatro, pero buenas de igual manera.

Me leí Corazonada de Mario Benedetti que me pareció muy cómica y bien escrita.

Después, leí La Senorita Cora de Julio Cortázar, que me pareció de lo más linda y cuchi hasta que se llega al final, que me dejó algo impresionada y me dio un giro de 360 grados. Este escritor suele ser así. La manera en que está escrita la historia me pareció muy cómica e interesante, y aun más imaginándolo en el acento argentino.

Luego, me leí Un Dia de Éstos de Gabriel García Márquez, que a mi parecer fue el más corto, pero a la vez, el que más fue al punto. Cómico, duro y sarcástico. Muy al estilo de Garcia Marquez.

Por último, me leí Un Regalo para Julia de Francisco Massiani, de mi país natal Venezuela, razón por la cual la leí. Me pareció genial leer todos los lugares de aquí, referenciados. Y la historia es frustrante y muy conocida. El final me dió algo de grima, pero la historia en general fué buena.

Y si, me pareció adecuado hacer este review en español, dado que son cuentos Latinoamericanos.

Title: El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba
Status: Novella

Author: Gabriel García Márquez

Genre: Adult Fiction, Short Story

General Thoughts: Nice, sad little story

Rating: 4/5 stars.

Little story about the colonel and his wife, who live in utter poverty and in constant threat of being without money, without food or nothing. As a small ray of hope, Colonel goes every Friday to the port, to wait for their corresponding pension for their services rendered to the country. But always get the same news, Colonel no one writes.

This book was short and entertaining. It's always good to read some of Garcia Marquez, as his writing is very special. The story itself was depressing, with misery and grief in which the couple lives and the decisions they have to make. Sad sad begins and ends. And there's nothing you can do for them.

Review in Spanish

Pequeña historia sobre el coronel y su esposa, que viven en total miseria y en constante amenaza de quedar sin dinero, sin comida, sin nada. Como pequeño rayo de esperanza, el Coronel va todos los viernes al puerto, a esperar la llegada de su correspondiente pensión, por sus servicios dados a la patria. Pero siempre recibe la misma noticia, el coronel no tiene quien le escriba.

Este libro fue corto y entretenido. Siempre es bueno leer algo de García Márquez, ya que su manera de escribir es muy especial. El cuento en si fué deprimente, con la miseria y tristeza en la que vive esta pareja, y las decisiones que tienen que tomar. Empieza triste y termina triste. Y no hay nada que se pueda hacer por ellos.

Title: El Túnel
Status: Stand Alone

Author: Ernesto Sábato

Genre: Adult Fiction, Classics

General Thoughts: Blunt, depressing, and a must read.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

My initial reaction of this book, which I later wrote down, was this:

"It was disturbing, very blunt, confusing and uncertain. Still not sure how I feel about it."

Right now, I feel almost exactly the same. Still disturbing, and blunt, and kind of confusing and very uncertain. But now, I know how I feel. You see, I've found the perfect allegory for it. This book is a train. Let me explain.

This book felt like if you were boarding a train, with "Death" for its name, but chose to ignore it, and then sat comfortably in the seat of your choosing. The train will start it's engine, and for so, the trip. It will be a slow start, as it always is, which will easy your mind. But soon, you will see its pacing quicken, and quicken, until a point were its speed wasn't normal anymore. The speed will continue to increase into alarming rates, and you will start to worry. And soon enough, someone will see a wall in the horizon, an obstacle, sure to get in the way of your train. And even thought you know it's coming, you still look, and wait anxiously for it to come. And then, it does. The train smashes and crashes against the wall, shooting all its passengers into different, sporadic directions, including you. And once the accident has calmed down, you wake up from the hit, only to presence the disaster left behind, and only you are there to see it, to witness it, to which you will wonder, why you boarded the train named "Death".

Very poetic actually.

In more seriousness, this book was like a hit in the chest, even thought you knew it all along. And even if it's morbid and sad, it's actually really good. You identify with the MC, even if he's insane. But at times, he makes sense.

I liked this book, really. I recommend that everyone reads it. And if that gorgeous allegory didn't convince you, here are some quotes I've recollected. For spoilers reason, I've chopped down a few.

With this one, you open up the book.

"There was one person who could understand me. But it was precisely the person I killed "

And the rest...

"The phrase 'all past times were better' does not indicate that less bad things happened before, but really -happily- people trust them into oblivion."

"To live is to build future memories."

"The expected does not happen. It's the unexpected that happens. "

"But why this mania of wanting to find an explanation of all acts of life?"

"Vanity is in the most unexpected places: by the side of goodness, of selflessness, of generosity."

"When I'm stopped on the street, in a square or on the train, to ask me what books you have to read, I always say," Read what you are passionate about, it will be the only thing that will help support the existence."

And my personal favorite, shortened down...

"... In any case there was only one tunnel, dark and lonely: mine."

Was going to do this in Spanish, but life too short :P