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Monthly Archives: November 2014

Review: “The Anatomy of Dreams” by Chloe Benjamin

06 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by Jaime in Books

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Books, Fiction, Reviews

Anatomy of Dreams

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by NetGalley free of charge in return for an honest and unbiased review.  This book is scheduled to be released on September 16, 2014 by Atria Books.

My first impression of “The Anatomy of Dreams” is that it reads similar to all of the Gothic Fiction I was so taken with in college.  It’s a beautifully written, highly atmospheric novel, which is essentially a coming of age tale that unfolds within a psychological thriller.  I use that term lightly, however, since everything Benjamin does in “The Anatomy of Dreams” is subtle.

Written from the perspective of Sylvia, the novel begins in her youth – a time spent away from her parents and within the confines of a boarding school in Northern California.  This is where she meets Gabe, a charismatic and lively fellow student, and Dr. Adrian Keller, their mysterious, somewhat reclusive headmaster.  It doesn’t take long before Gabe and Sylvie’s lives become completely entwined, not only with each other, but with Dr. Keller and his questionable, potentially unethical research of dreams.

I enjoyed “The Anatomy of Dreams”.  Much of the novel reads like a dream itself.  It is this quality, however, that is also one of the book’s drawbacks.  Within is a story that relies heavily on relationships and trust – between loved ones, colleagues, friends, etc. – but the characters feel so distant from one another (we’re talking little to no chemistry).  Whether this is the result of the dreamy undercurrent of the novel or a failing  on Benjamin’s part to fully flesh out the characters, I cannot say.

REVIEW:  4 out of 6

“Seven Nation Army” performed by Zella Day

06 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by Jaime in Music

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Music, Recommendations

zella day

I cannot stop listening to Zella Day’s cover of “Seven Nation Army”.  It’s haunting and beautiful and absolutely PERFECT.

Artist to Watch: Daniel Champagne

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by Jaime in Music

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Concerts, Music, Recommendations

I had the pleasure of seeing Daniel Champagne open for Carbon Leaf at The Ark in Ann Arbor.  WOW – he completely blew my mind!  Seriously, if you ever have the opportunity to see him perform live JUST DO IT.

You can check out his official home page HERE for more info and tour dates.

Review: “In Real Life” by Lawrence Tabak

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by Jaime in Books

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Books, Fiction, Reviews, YA Fiction

In Real Life

Disclosure: This book was provided to me by NetGalley free of charge in return for an honest and unbiased review.  This book is scheduled to be released on November 11, 2014 by Tuttle Publishing.

I consider myself to be a “gamer”.  Having played endless games of River Raid and Keystone Capers on my Atari 2600 and more games of Super Mario Bros. in my youth than I can even count, it’s a hobby that has just stuck with me throughout the years.  When I spotted Tabak’s “In Real Life” on NetGalley, I was excited.

A male protagonist?
Gaming?
A serious lack of vampires, witches, fairies, or any of the other usual suspects that plague YA Fiction these days?

Cool!  I’m there.

What strikes me most about this book is that it feels authentic.  I don’t know the first thing about professional gaming and somehow I don’t think that watching “The Wizard” at least a thousand times as a kid qualifies me as an expert.  Lawrence Tabak, it appears, has done his research.  Everything about this book comes across as real and believable.

Main character Seth Gordon is a math prodigy with one goal, to become a pro Starfare player and join up with one of the top teams in South Korea.  In this modern coming of age tale, however, Seth soon comes to realize that the reality of going pro doesn’t exactly mesh with the idealized fantasies he’s been clinging to.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It’s got a great cover (yes, covers count for something), refreshing characters and an honest feel.  One of the minor criticisms I have with the book is that I wish there were a few more obstacles for Seth in his road to success and with his relationship with Hannah.  Furthermore, I wish that Tabak had delved a little more into Hannah’s past.  She is such an interesting character, I would almost love to see a spin-off book that revolves around her.  Finally, without spoilers, I felt as if there needed to be more of a sacrifice on Seth’s part at the conclusion of the book.  Overall, things just seems to work out too well for him and with ease.

These are minor issues, though, and should not deter you from reading this wonderful debut.

REVIEW:  4 out of 6

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