When I was a kid, I was fascinated with ancient mythology. My favorite myths were those from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, but I tried to read everything I could get my grubby little hands on. I thought that myths provide a deeper understanding of a particular culture, specifically their understanding of self, their environment, and their place in the universe. For example, isn’t it interesting that the “great flood” is a recurrent theme in myths cross-culturally? And what about the common theme of resurrection, […]
We are all migrants through time
I found Exit West by Mohsin Hamid through two different sources. First, it was on President Obama’s 2017 recommended reading list. This was already more than enough incentive for me to start reading, but it was also on NPR’s Best Books of 2017, which has become one of my favorite sources for finding new books. Before I began reading, I only had the vague notion that this was a story about refugees, which seems especially relevant in today’s world. I was expecting a humanizing story of the danger […]
Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert (Maybe)
Sophie is a unicorn expert. And if you do not believe her, she will tell you. And she does that in Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert. She knows everything there is to know about unicorns: what they should do, what they should learn, how they should look, what they should eat, even that their horns grow back if they lose them. Sometimes her mother does not agree with how Sophie teaches them (as mothers do not realize that magic is more important than cleaning up messes). […]
Tokyo Ghoul: Not your parents graphic novel!
I have heard of Tokyo Ghoul off and on for a while now. I never really had any interest in reading it, as the images I had seen did seem a bit “too much” for my tastes. However, I am curious. I feel, as a reader and bookseller, I should try and experience many different genres. Therefore, when I saw the book Tokyo Ghoul Illustrations: Zakki in the damaged box, I assume it was a Tokyo Ghoul graphic novel and picked it up. It was […]