In Wartime: Stories from Ukraine, Book Review

Tim Judah's In Wartime: Stories From Ukraine is a truly compelling and educational story. The different perspectives of insiders in the way is unique and eye-opening. As someone who knew little to nothing about the war, I can say I feel quite informed about it now and am inspired to make a difference after reading the book. It has a slow start in my opinion, but once you get past that, the book is amazing!

3.5/5 Stars

Interview with Allison O'Toole of Wayward Sisters: Anthology of Monstrous Women



My latest obsession has been Kickstarter. My days would be work, school, and then scroll through the onslaught of projects posted to Kickstarter. Something about these independent projects gaining their voice really just gives me a thrill- and if my $25 can help get these projects off the ground, then by all means, TAKE MY MONEY. My favorite projects to see are those that promote feminism. Wayward Sisters does a great job in representing women and non-binary individuals in a beautifully drawn comic book. It takes monsters- a genre mainly driven by men- and turns it around into a wonderfully written comic book celebrating femininity and those who identify as non-binary. The Kickstarter has already been fully funded, but if you would like to continue to support this project (and I really think you should!), you can find it here. The comic is set to release on February 1, 2018 and I am more than excited to see what this anthology has in store. I set out to find the Lead Editor for Wayward Sisters and find out some more about this interesting anthology. That interview can be seen below. I hope in the future to bring you guys more independent projects- especially those that have to deal with feminism.

What was your inspiration for writing Wayward Sisters: An Anthology of Monstrous Women?

I always loved monsters when I was growing up, and I was unsatisfied that I saw so few women monsters in the stories I was reading (and no non-binary ones). I wanted to tell stories about monsters who weren’t men, and who weren’t sexualized for the male gaze, so I decided to create this anthology.

What impact do you hope that Wayward Sisters will have on readers?

I hope that readers who love monsters as much as I do will love the anthology! We tried to incorporate a wide range of tones and styles, so I hope that there’s a story in here for everyone, whether you like your monsters scary or silly.

How do you feel about the current representation of non-binary individuals in pop culture?

What representation? I joke, but I feel like non-binary or gender non-conforming people are almost never represented in pop culture, and I think that’s damaging. Including non-binary characters in fiction, I think, will help that identity be more widely understood and accepted; trans representation in general still has so far to go. Seeing positive depictions trans and gender non-conforming characters in media does so much to destigmatize real people with those identities, I think there’s so much more we can and should be doing.

How important do you believe it is to incorporate more women and non-binary individuals into the comic industry? 

People want to see themselves represented in media, and it’s important to include women, trans people, people of colour, and everyone else, when we’re having conversations about those identities. People who don’t identify a certain way can write stories about characters with those identities, but they can’t write a story examining the experiences of a person with that identity. Including marginalized people in media, allowing them to tell their own stories, means that representation will be done properly, and also leads to a more varied media landscape. The more kinds of stories we’re telling, the more vital our media can remain. If only one kind of person (straight, white cis-dudes) is allowed to tell stories about himself, then media will stagnate.

Do you have a personal favorite comic from the anthology? If so, what is it?

Oh, I couldn’t pick a favourite! I’m excited about the story I wrote though, it’s a Noir Hollywood tale about a screenwriter who pursues a femme fatale who’s more fatale than most. It’s being drawn by Emmanuelle Chateauneuf, who’s amazing, I can’t wait for everyone to see her work on this story.

Safe Rooms in Public Areas?

    Hello! Today I come to you with some fairly controversial food-for-thought. However, I intend to have you believing in the need for safe rooms in public areas by the end of this article, so buckle up your seat belts and hold on tight!

    So, the first topic I'd like to hit is why safe rooms (public or private) are considered controversial. It has been noted that the use of "safe rooms" (which were anything but) were used as cruel punishment, or were used in the improper way. Such instances can be noted here. How is it safe to place individuals who may suffer from sensory overload (as many individuals living with mental disabilities do) into a tight room with loud, disruptive students? Or, how can it be ethical to place students into solitary confinement-type rooms for behavior they may have performed, but do not entirely understand? I'm sure we can all agree that those uses for safe rooms are a big no-no, but must be carefully considered when speaking about the use of safe rooms for public areas as we know exactly what to avoid. 

    As someone with anxiety that is often triggered by social situations or sensory-overload, I can speak from experience that some sort of safe room may have better helped me to cope when I was feeling panicky out in public. But, if I don't mean the safe rooms mentioned above? What do I mean? Well, consider the following- a room, in which individuals are free to come and go as they please, where the only expectation is to sit silently. You can do whatever you please to calm down, as long as it does not disrupt the coping mechanisms of another individual. A room solely devoted to assisting individuals with mental disabilities and/or sensory overload cope with the loud, chaotic world around them. As businesses and corporations work to make their public spaces more accessible and inclusive to all, they must learn to consider those with disabilities they cannot see, and learn to accomodate them as needed. Now, I'm not saying that a safe room in public spaces is fool-proof and is a guaranteed solution to work for all, I know it's not as we've seen what happens when used wrong. But, if we wanted to work towards inclusion for ALL, don't you think it'd be a step in the right direction? 

Spaceman by Mike Massimino, Book Review

"If you work hard and get help from good friends, together you can overcome almost any challenge, no matter how great."

     Spaceman by Mike Massimino is a compelling narrative that tells the story of a young astronaut candidate trying to reach his dream of traveling to space. It features personal narration, witty humor, and inspiring messages as we follow Massimino on his journey. 

    Now, let me start off by saying math and science have never been my strong suit. I've always been interested in space, astronomy, and flight due to my participation in Civil Air Patrol, and individual followings of the latest in space news. However, I never wanted to be an astronaut. I knew writing and art were where my passions lie. So when I decided to pick up this book I honestly thought I would be bored out of my mind. Yeah, it's an astronaut and I love astronauts, but I don't need to be bombarded by science and math terms in my free time. Oh was I wrong. Mike Massimino does such a great job of introducing you to the formal scientific terms of things throughout the novel, but then provides an easy to understand description of what he means. I never even knew I was actually learning things until I put the book down and thought about it. Way to go for getting this artsy kid into science, Massimino!

    There was absolutely no room to be bored with Massimino at all in this book. Even from the get-go. The first few words in the book, I was already engaged and the writer had taken control of my attention. That's not something very many readers can accomplish. Never did he lose my interest. He talked about these strides in aerospace technology, and the less impressive life of a college kid trying to be apart of those strides. His humor and overall passion for the space program really show as everything he says just sounds interesting and fun.

    One of the elements that truly makes this book interesting is the detailing of not only his personal progress, but the progression of the space program. You see, Massimino was a man who grew with the program and that allows the reader to have a unique insight that we can't find anywhere else. As someone who is interested in astronomy recreationally, the detailing of the space program was a nice touch. I could honestly see this book being used in classrooms to teach kids about space travel and astronauts. (*cough* Hey Mrs. Miller if you're reading this *cough*) 

    Even if you're like me, someone who never considered aerospace as a possible career path, this book will speak to you. No matter what you want to do with your life, this book speaks to you. This book explores common themes of perseverance, camaraderie, teamwork, and of course, exploration (of science and of yourself). This book causes you to look inside of yourself. What do you want to achieve in your life? How bad do you want it? What are you actively doing to achieve it? No matter if you're five, or one hundred and five, Massimino shows how no matter who you are, you can achieve your dreams if you work hard (and boy do I mean hard). 

    To recap, Massimino's humor, and laid-back tone make this book easy and fun to read no matter the experience you have with science. This book does a very good job of keeping the reader engaged and on their toes. Additionally, you get a glimpse of not only the progression of an astronaut, but of the space program as a whole. And finally, no matter who you are or what you want to do with your life, this book will speak to you somehow.

This book was given to me by bloggingforbooks.com for an honest review. 
5/5 stars

   HEY GUYS BATSY HERE I DON'T KNOW WHAT BLOGGER IS DOING TO MY FORMAT. PLEASE BE PATIENT AS I TRY TO FIX THE FONT. 

Faith #1 Review

"Heroism is it's own reward, tiger." 

It's not often that I can find a comic in which the main protagonist is like me. Though I could easily say I identified with Bruce Banner, the Vision, Barbara Gordon, or even Harley Quinn, I had never found someone who really represented me both physically and mentally. This comic written by Jody Houser and designed by Francis Portela and Marguerite Sauvage had really struck me with it's compelling and likable main character. Faith shows a beautiful example of how plus size women could still be not only beautiful, but powerful and that geeks like me could achieve great things.

First off, I would like to talk about the narration devices and the overall plot quality of this comic. Faith takes place in modern times and it follows the life of Faith Herbert through her day job as a pop-culture article writer and her excursions as a crime fighting hero named Zephyr. Additionally, the comic starts with a mysterious scene of what appears to be escaped inmates running away in the woods. The plot overall is not as action-packed as many other comics, as it seems to be setting up for the future of the comic series. Despite this, the comic does very well in keeping the reader entertained. Faith Herbert has such a magnetic personality that you cannot turn away from. Her intense passion for pop-culture, her unstoppable optimism, and sarcastic narration throughout the comic provided for an interesting story in of itself. 

Drawing from Faith Herbert's personality, another notable aspect of this comic is her character in itself. I would like to start off with the way she is drawn. Faith Herbert is clearly a plus-sized woman and I love the fact that the artists don't shy away from that. They show her like a real life, average plus-sized woman. She has her double chin, her rolls, her chubby, stocky legs, her chubby fingers. It's all things that as a plus-sized girl myself, we face in real life. However, I love her unyielding confidence and the fact that the comic never puts her down or makes fun of her size in the same respect that the comic isn't about her weight. It puts emphasis on who she is as a person (the amazing butt-kicking, crime-fighting, pop-culture guru) rather than what she looks like. Finally, I enjoy the ode to girl power as she shows how independent she is especially after being faced with watching her ex-boyfriend Torque on TV. She never is bitter towards him and knows that she's still beautiful. I personally, would have to say that my favorite scenes would be those in which she is demonstrating her girl power by saving men and flipping the usual male-female relationship in the comic world, destroying the stigma of the need for a female damsel in distress. 

Overall, this comic is a wonderful ode to the plus-sized girls of the geek community. It's beautiful art, and compelling writing draw in the reader (Speaking of, I'm definitely purchasing issue #2!). Faith's magnetic personality really make this comic so spectacular. I would recommend this comic to many others and definitely re-read it again (although I already have read it about three times!). 5/5 Stars for Faith Issue #1. 

Star Wars: Darth Maul short review

“It is as we are. Powerful. Unseen. Deadly.” The Sith prepare to strike in the first issue of Star Wars: Darth Maul by Ron Marz, a free comic provided by Comixology. Though very short, the scenes are very compelling and make me want to purchase the second comic in this series. Additionally, because it is very short it’s hard to gauge the quality of the plot and story, but still, all things considered it’s well written. Another notable mention is the art. The art is beautiful and well detailed, showing the care and precision put into this comic. My overall favorite scene would be that in which Darth Maul exhibits his fighting skills due to the fast-pace of them and how well the artist Jan Duursema had drawn them. Notably, this comic seems to fit in very well with the cinematic universe, allowing for this already famous and well-known franchise to further expand even more. Overall, though short, the comic is well-written and beautifully drawn. It’s very good considering it is a free comic, ⅘ stars.

Dear President Elect Trump,

Hello President Elect Trump,

    I am a part of the "minority" that your hate speech has worked to erase. Now, I know you are sick and tired of hearing people call you and your friend Mike Pence out, but surely you understand I'm just a little bit concerned with what you have going on here. Allow me to explain, I am a teenage girl, and if it wasn't scary enough being a young woman this day and age, add in the fact that our future president has told his followers that it's okay to just go and grab women by the-

    Yeah, rape was already a common problem among girls in the US, and now we have even more reason to be scared. But if a young woman worried about rape isn't bad enough for you, let me tell you another thing. My family is from the wonderful island of Puerto Rico, the U.S. territory that you want to abandon. Not only is your hateful rhetoric affecting latino(a)s all around the country, your threat to no longer count Puerto Rico as a territory could greatly impact the economy and wellbeing of the individuals there. Not to mention, your nasty words towards our Mexican brothers and sisters are hurtful to their reputation and livelihood. You have your followers believing that they are drug dealers, rapists, and murders when white males are truly the ones you should be scared of. Plus, I do not see how you'll be able to enjoy things such as this (see picture below) when you have the blood of many innocent hispanics on your hands due to hate crime and are so far in debt from your infamous wall that America is barely getting by.

    Oh yeah, and another thing: I am also a part of the LGBTQIA+ community that your buddy Mike Pence wants to hurt. Did you know suicide rates are the highest among LGBTQIA+ youth, a majority of them also being POC? When Mike Pence says he wants to legalize conversion therapy, it has many of us scared for our fellow LGBTQIA+ Americans who do not have accepting family members. Would they be forced into this torture? Will they become another nasty number in a rising statistic of suicide? Tell us, Trump: how are you protecting us and keeping us alive? How will you save the lives of those like Leelah Alcorn whose own homes are a battleground? Do our lives matter enough to you to keep us alive?

    

    These are the categories that I classify as but what about every other minority you have insulted and threatened? When will our African American brothers and sisters finally get fair treatment? When will they stop getting shot down for just existing? When will this nasty and toxic stereotype surrounding the African American community get erased. When will racism become a thing of the past? When will we finally be able to realize that #blacklivesmatter? What are you doing to stop this? If you are going to be leader of this country, you need to fix this harmful trend instead of feed into it. I want justice for our beautiful Muslim neighbors. I want them to be able to wear a hijab peacefully and not be criminalized or put down for their decision. I want them to be able to meet together in peace and practice their religion, just like every other religion can. I want you to stop associating Muslims with terrorists, because that could not be farther from the truth. 

    So, President Elect Trump, were you listening good? I do not wish for you to fail nor do I wish death upon you. I want you to succeed at your job and surprise everybody. However, the fear that you will live up to your campaign's promises lingers over my head as I grow up in this nation you've adopted. Please, don't screw it up. We are all counting on you to make a change in your heart and demonstrate what America should be, the already great nation. (PS: Hamilton was awesome and if you can't take a bit of shade being thrown your way maybe being a president (or going to a theater) isn't for you?)