Review: V for Vendetta

Title: V for Vendetta
Author: Alan Moore
Illustrator: David Lloyd
Genre: Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Dystopia
Published: 1989
Pages: 288
Rating: 9 / 10
Challenges: Graphic Novels Challenge, A to Z Reading Challenge, 48 Hour Book Challenge

Synopsis (from the back cover):

A frightening and powerful story of the loss of freedom and identity in a totalitarian world. V for Vendetta is everything comics weren't supposed to be.

England Prevails.

My review: That last line is a quote from the book; it's a motto for the government figures. V is amazing book. I've had it sitting on my shelf for ages (I bought it shortly after meeting David Lloyd at Dragon*Con two years ago) and I can't believe I waited so long to actually sit down with it. Thank you, 48 hour book challenge!

The setting of V is an AU late-1990's London, in which the people are constantly monitored and recorded by the "Eyes" and "Ears" of their controlling government. They are also completely dependent on the "Voice" of the government, an hourly broadcast designed to keep the masses ignorant of what's really happening. It's very 1984, but darker. The character known only as "V" is a man with a troubled past who takes it upon himself to establish a new world order - anarchy and chaos, but with an opportunity for the people to think and choose for themselves. He is joined in his quest by Evey Hammond, a 16-year-old prostitute he saves from a police gang-rape her first night on the job. See? Dark.

The story feels incredibly topical (especially given recent events), so much so that's it's a bit scary. It's not all gloom and doom, though. There's a message of hope and independence, mainly due to the great character that is V. My favorite line of his: "Did you think to kill me? There's no flesh or blood within this cloak to kill. There's only an idea. Ideas are bulletproof." And it's very true: the idea of V and what he represents are what endures. He's an anti-hero, but an intriguing one, and his story makes for excellent reading.

Cross-posted to the Graphic Novels Challenge blog.

If you've reviewed this book as well, leave a message in the comments and I'll link to your review.

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update One

Time spent reading: 5.5 hours
Books read: 3
Under the Tuscan Sun (only had a few chapters to go when I started the challenge)
ttfn
l8r, g8r

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm not getting any blog reading done right now (my G-Reader is full to bursting!), but I may try to review the books I've finished later. Right now I'm about to start some graphic novels.

Happy reading! :)

48 Hour Book Challenge: Hour One?

Well, I just got home from my fun run ("run" is used loosely - I walked the mile with a friend of mine, and I'm not even going to write our time because it was embarrassing) and I'll have to leave to talk to my Realtor about putting an offer in on a house (hooray!), but I'm finally able to start my 48 hours of reading. Two and a half hours late. Oh, well. Right now, I'm finishing up Under the Tuscan Sun, which is an amazing book. Hopefully I'll have a more informative post later. To the other participants: happy reading!

48 Hour Book Challenge

Mother Reader is hosting the 4th annual 48 Hour Book Challenge this weekend, June 5-7. I missed out on the 24-Hour Read-a-thon this past time, so I'm looking forward to this one. The rules:

1. The weekend is June 5–7, 2009. Read and blog for any 48-hour period within the Friday-to-Monday-morning window. Start no sooner than 7:00 a.m. on Friday the fifth and end no later than 7:00 a.m. Monday. So, go from 7:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday... or maybe 7:00 a.m. Saturday to 7:00 a.m. Monday works better for you. But the 48 hours do need to be in a row. Edited to add: But during that 48-hour period you may still have gaps of time in which you can’t read, and that’s fine. In the middle of the three different challenge weekends I’ve had to go to work, attend a ballet recital, and drive for a Girl Scout event. You can certainly work around the other events in your weekend.

2. The books should be about fifth-grade level and up. Adult books are fine, especially if any adult book bloggers want to play. If you are generally a picture book blogger, consider this a good time to get caught up on all those wonderful books you’ve been hearing about. Two graphic novels can be included in the reading. I’m not trying to discriminate, I’m just trying to make sure that the number of books and page counts mean the same thing to everyone.

3. It’s your call as to how much you want to put into it. If you want to skip sleep and showers to do this, go for it. If you want to be a bit more laid back, fine. But you have to put something into it or it’s not a challenge.

4. The length of the reviews are not an issue. You can write a sentence, paragraph, or a full-length review. The time spend reviewing counts in your total time.

5. On your blog, state when you are starting the challenge with a specific entry on that day. This makes it easier to track the participants. Write your final summary on Monday, and for one day, we’ll all be on the same page, so to speak.

6. Your final summary needs to clearly include the number of books read, the approximate hours you spent reading/reviewing, and any other comments you want to make on the experience. It needs to be posted no later than noon on Monday, June 8th.

7. Sign up in today’s comments. You’re more than welcome to post the challenge on your site. Point them to today’s post to sign up. On Friday, June 5, I’ll have a starting-line post where you can sign in to say you’re officially starting the challenge.

I have a huge stack of books to read, and an even bigger stack to review. Maybe next month I should host a 48-hour review-a-thon...

Music Munday: JoCo and Paul and Storm

Sorry this one's going up a bit late; I'm on vacation and I was out on the beach all day. :P I had planned on writing about my obsession with a Cappella music for this week's Music Munday, but then I went to a Jonathan Coulton and Paul and Storm concert Saturday night. It was one of the best concerts I've been to in years, and since it was a tech-geek-heavy crowd, there's footage of it on YouTube!

Before my BFF Fran invited me to the show, my only exposure to JoCo was the song "Code Monkey" (which my ex-boyfriend loved and played for me a few times) and this Warcraftian video for "First of May" that a friend of a friend made me watch a few months ago (NSFW - the f-word is used liberally and the video features animated creatures...um, acting out said word). I wasn't at all familiar with Paul and Storm, which gives me some measure of shame to admit now that I've seen them. Both musical acts are fairly simple: acoustic guitar + geeky lyrics = success!

To be perfectly honest, I actually preferred Paul and Storm, the opening band, over JoCo. But they were both awesome. P&S were just a bit more upbeat. They also gave away "FABULOUS PRIZES" during their set, usually to people who cracked funny jokes. I have to say, that crowd was one of the quietest I've ever heard; while the songs were being performed, everyone was listening attentively (and laughing appreciatively). But during the silences in between songs, well, there was some pretty funny heckling. Paul and Storm got us a bit riled up: when Jonathan Coulton came on, he jokingly complained about the vivacity of the audience (I blame "The Captain's Wife's Lament" - see below).

Now, on to the videos! Since these were recorded on digital cameras, the quality isn't the best, but I think you get a pretty good idea of what it was like. First up, Paul and Storm's first song, "Opening Band." This video is not actually from the Atlanta show, but it was such a funny song I wanted to include it.



It's pretty similar to what I saw Saturday, except during the lyric "No panties have been thrown," a bunch of people at the front of the stage threw panties of varying colors and sizes (including a pair of Batman Underoos) and one frying pan. We were rechristened "Pant-lanta," but it apparently happens every time. At least I know for the next show...

This is the last Paul and Storm song, "The Captain's Wife's Lament," which got us all pirate-y:



This was Jonathan trying to get us to stop "Arr"-ing:



Following this clip, he requested, "Don't put that $h!t on YouTube." As one audience member so eloquently put it, "Too late!"

This interesting little instrument is called a zendrum. The song, "Mr. Fancypants," was one of my favorites of the night:



That's right, we got Rick Roll'd.

And, last but not least, Jonathan Coulton AND Paul and Storm singing "Creepy Doll":



If you liked these songs, I highly recommend you check out the websites. They also sing about zombies and fighting nuns and stuff, too. Both acts have Twitters, too: @jonathancoulton and @paulandstorm.

Thanks to Chris for hosting Music Mundays. You can learn more about them here.

One step closing to being a "real" adult

I've been living with my parents or renting an apartment/room in a friend's house for the past ten or so years. Now that I have a real, adult job (aka a "career"), I've decided to take the plunge and buy a house. I have a little money saved up and a mediocre credit score. The one factor in my favor? It's totally a buyer's market. The county I'm living in right now is lousy with foreclosed houses, and the community banks are really eager to sell. Yesterday after work I met with a Realtor and checked out three different homes. Each has its own distinctive charm, but I'm leaning towards the cheaper one with the huge kitchen (!), appliances included (!!), and large, flat backyard just begging for a vegetable garden. One of the other houses is slightly more expensive (it has a fireplace and unfinished basement, which could be a totally boss home theater), but I don't think I could get as good a deal on it. The third house is okay (it has a lovely back porch and a big garden tub in the master bathroom), but it also has a leak in one closet and doesn't have kitchen appliances included.

So, those of you who own houses or are also in the process of buying: any suggestions? Anything you wish you had known before you signed on the dotted line? I'll be talking it over with my parents before making an offer, but my apartment lease is up at the end of June and I'm anxious to get my living situation straightened out pronto.

And, just 'cause I think it's funny and sorta-related, here's a "Cribs"-style video starring Seth Green:

Un-Broke: The Seth Green Cribs Edition - watch more funny videos

Recipe Tuesday: Pesto Risotto

My little sister graduated from college a few weeks ago. She didn't want to attend the ceremony (it would've been pointless, really, as there were too many students for them to be called individually), so Mom let her pick where she wanted to go for lunch instead. Sis chose The Swan Coach House. Apparently it's an Atlanta landmark, but I had never heard of it before, even though it turned out to be located pretty close to the starting point for the Great Urban Race from last month.

Knowing my sister, I figured it would not be the kind of place I would typically enjoy. For one thing, it's only open for three and a half hours, Monday - Saturday, and there's usually a one-hour wait to be seated. Also, they do not accept reservations for groups smaller than (I think) ten. And this is stuff she knew before we even got in the car to drive down there! When we pulled up to the restaurant, all I could see were groups of women in floral print dresses and high heels (definitely NOT what I was wearing). The inside looked like an Easter basket had exploded - there's a photo gallery on the website to give you an idea. I was feeling pretty uncomfortable and out of my element, and we ended up walking around the gift shop while waiting the hour for our table.

But then we were seated, ordered, and prompt served our food. Oh, the food. It was delicious! Worth every minute we stood around waiting for the hostess to call our name, and definitely worth having to stare at a sea of flowery dresses and Pepto-Bismol-colored walls. Luckily my sister had picked up a copy of the Swan Coach House cookbook (in the aforementioned gift shop) and I was able to flip through it and find some really excellent recipes to make at home. My first attempt was the Pest Risotto, which turned out to be the BEST. RISOTTO. EVER. I made a few adjustments to the original the second time I made it, and it turned out even better. How can something be better than the BEST, you ask? Well, I don't know, but this risotto is it.

Ingredients
1 small zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small yellow squash, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups vegetable broth
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup pesto
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper to taste

Put the zucchini, yellow squash, and broth in a small pot and simmer over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until tender. Add the rice and cook for three minutes, stirring continuously. Remove the cooked squash and zucchini from the broth and set aside. Add one cup of the warm broth to the rice and cook until the broth is mostly absorbed, stirring continuously. Add another 1/2 cup of the broth and cook until almost absorbed, stirring continuously. Repeat until almost all of the broth has been absorbed. (This will probably take about 20 - 30 minutes.) Stir in the pesto. Add in the remaining broth, cooking until the mixture is creamy and the rice is al dente. Stir in the cheese, squash, and zucchini and season with black pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.

Note: This picture is from the first time I made the recipe, before I added in the vegetables. But you get the idea.

Music Munday: Mix CD

Chris started Music Mundays last week at his blog, Stuff As Dreams Are Made On... and I really wanted to participate, but school was really hectic and I just didn't get a chance to write a post. Good thing I waited, because now I have some excellent music to post about.

Last Thursday was finals day for first and third period. I adore my first period class; seeing them was always a great start to my day. One of my wonderful students showed up on finals day even though he didn't have to take the test (students who don't miss too many days and have a certain GPA can exempt) and he brought me a mix CD! There's some really great songs on here, and I wanted to share them with you guys. There are twenty songs on here, so I won't get to them all, but here are a few of my favorites.

1. "Halo" - Beyoncé
The songs on the CD aren't labeled, so I've had a time trying to figure them out. The first one was relatively easy, though. I realized it was Beyoncé on the second or third play. Full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of hers. I think she's a big ol' diva and I really wish she would give up on her "acting." That said, this song has a way of getting stuck in my head, and I love the beat:


2. "Don't Trust Me" - 3OH!3
This song is completely inappropriate (there's an f-bomb early in the video, so don't watch it at work or near little kids), but I love it. The video's a bit strange, but the song makes me want to get up and dance:


3. "Champion" - Flipsyde
According to the internets, this song was used for all of the US teams during the 2008 Olympics. Very apropos, I think. Another NSFW video - these kids listen to music with such bad language these days!


4. "Gives You Hell" - The All-American Rejects
This was one song I had heard and liked before I got the mix CD - I've been a fan of TAAR since college.


5. "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked" - Cage the Elephant
This is another song I liked previously. I have no idea how I ended up with this song in my iTunes (I tend to download a bunch of random songs from various music blogs and then cull through them later), but it's already gotten quite a few plays. I love the steel guitar.


So there you have it! Does this kid have great taste in music or what? I'll probably end up posting about the rest of the songs at a later date.

Visit Chris's Music Mundays post for more!

Booking Through Thursday: A Second First Time?

I haven't done a BTT post in a while, but I really liked this week's question, and I'm trying to get back into the blogging habit - graduation is tomorrow night, y'all, and then I have four 10-hour days of post-planning until a summer of blissful freedom! Anyway, this week's question is:

What book would you love to be able to read again for the first time?

Without a doubt, one book I wish I could go back and read again for the first time is Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club. I was spoiled for this one because I actually saw the movie first. My (then-) boyfriend Max read the book first, then convinced me to get a copy, and my love for Chuck was kindled. If you've never read the book or seen the movie, do yourself a favor and pick it up. I would even go so far as to say that the book is a better version, although the movie is amazing. Shirtless Brad Pitt is a big plus. There's a big twist in the end that makes you go, "Whaaaa?" The book's ending is a bit more ambiguous (and creepy) and I would love to discover it anew all over again.

But you don't have to take my word for it. Check out btt for more opinions.

School's (almost) out for summer

Dear blog,

I am terribly sorry I've been ignoring you for the past few weeks. School has been crazy-busy; thank goodness tomorrow is the last full day before finals. Unfortunately, I still have a week of post-planning and prep for moving to our nice, nearly-completed new high school. But after that, I'll be back to a regular posting schedule, I pinkie-promise. On the plus side, I've been reading tons of books, so I'll have lots of reviews to write*...after I finish grading all these persuasive papers. Who knew so many 10th graders were opposed to school uniforms? Too bad the school board already voted - I'll be rockin' khakis and polo shirts next year!

For now, though, I'm off to bed. Thanks to Glee, I'll have "Don't Stop Believin'" stuck in my head for at least the next three days. Not that I'm complaining - I love me some Journey.

Love,
A frazzled first year teacher

* Including, but not limited to: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (which I finally broke down and ordered online), The Thirteen Clocks, the first three trades of Jack of Fables, Mr. Darcy's Diary, Don't Eat This Book!, Smoke and Mirrors, The Eternals, and The Graveyard Book. Yeah, I went on a Neil Gaiman-themed reading binge recently...