Review: 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth

By Matthew Inman (the Oatmeal)
Available now from Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review copy



Okay, I often don't talk about what format I read a book in. I read the epub version of 5 VERY GOOD REASONS TO PUNCH A DOLPHIN IN THE MOUTH, which is relevant because the resolution wasn't all that awesome. You couldn't really zoom, which meant some bits were almost impossible to read. Judging by the reviews on Amazon, that hasn't been fixed. So printed is the way to go. Not that I expect many people to be more interested in the e-version of this. It's easier to browse through the random comics with a book or on the site than in an ebook.

I was excited for 5 VERY GOOD REASONS TO PUNCH A DOLPHIN IN THE MOUTH because I'm a big fan of the Oatmeal, author Matthew Inman's humor site. There are great infographics about such things as grammar, vocabulary, cheese, and coffee. There are also fun quizzes and some delightfully surreal comics, such as the eponymous work. It's nice to have some favorites collected and at hand.

At the same time, when idly browsing on the internet I never noticed how often Inman jokes about hookers. Not particularly good jokes, either. It got kind of uncomfortable after awhile.

Between being underwhelmed by the format and overwhelmed by (dead) hooker jokes, I was less impressed by 5 VERY GOOD REASONS TO PUNCH A DOLPHIN IN THE MOUTH. I'll continue to check the website, but I don't think I'm going to purchase the book for myself or as a gift for friends.

Contest: A Discovery of Witches Book and Buttons

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES by Deborah Harkness is a thick tome, suitable for using to defend yourself in case of a home invasion.  That thickness also allows for a skyline to be printed on the spine.  Pictured are some of the most famous buildings in Oxford, including the Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera.

Below is one of my pictures of Radcliffe Camera:

It's a strange building, and not just because it is architecturally striking.  It was a library, funded by a man who didn't believe in book learning.  Then a tunnel was built to connect the two libraries.  Now, it's mostly used as reading rooms for the Bodleian.  In A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, "a distracting horde of daemons, withces, and vampires [descend] upon the Bodleian's reading rooms." (Quotation taken from book blurb.) 

For five weeks I lived in Radcliffe Square, my home a neighbor to both Radcliffe Camera and the Bodleian Library.  How can I resist a novel that engages my mind before I even reach the first page?  How can you?

Here's your chance to win Harkness's New York Times bestseller and a set of buttons.  Fill out the Google doc below.  I'll choose the winner in two weeks.  This contest is sponsored by Penguin, and thus restricted to US addresses, no PO Boxes.  As always, you can get someone else to mail it to you if you're international.

Review: Rage

By Jackie Morse Kessler
Available now from Graphia
Review copy
Read my interview with Jackie



I think I'm the opposite of most people. I prefer RAGE, the second Horseman of the Apocalypse novel, to its predecessor HUNGER. I understood Missy more. Missy's going through a rough time: she's broken up with her boyfriend and her cat just died. Then her boyfriend betrays her. Her method of dealing is to let it all out by cutting. Even before Death makes her the new incarnation of War, she's already trying to find a healthier method of self-control.

Missy also spends less time traveling than Lisa did. One battlefield is enough to let Jackie Morse Kessler's description shine while allowing things to remain focused on Missy and her problems. Her issues feel less like an analogue for the world's issues. Instead, the damage of one person relieving her anger is amplified.

The part I was most unsure about was Death and War's relationship. Death's relationship with the previous Wars was sexual. He's got a type. Missy's attraction mostly seems to be based on his looks. Kessler managed to make me mostly like their relationship. but I felt uncomfortable with it for awhile. I like my couples to see each other as people.

I had issues with Missy's sister too. Missy doesn't know where her sister stands and by the end of the book I wasn't sure either. Part of that's the first person point of view. Part of it is that the sister seems to want Missy to quit, but she also says some incredibly cruel things. Some of her actions could be loving, but she sounded so callous.

Overall, I thought Missy was a well-defined character and her emotional arc was clear.  Those who are looking for a true urban fantasy novel probably won't like the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series.  But if you enjoy real world issues combined with fantasy, Kessler's work will be right up your alley.

Interview with Jackie Morse Kessler

Jackie Morse Kessler is the author of the Riders of the Apocalypse series as well as several books for adults. You can read my review of HUNGER now and my review of RAGE later today. You can also read my previous interview with Jackie to find out more. The next stop on this tour is Wicked Awesome Books. Scroll to the bottom for a cool contest.

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1. The scenes where Missy cuts herself are emotionally intense. How did you ensure that Missy's story felt emotionally authentic?

JK: Writing those scenes, and the ones leading up to them, left me feeling emotionally raw, and very drained. I tried to be honest to the story and not gloss anything over. (I also wound up eating a lot of chocolate. To soothe the nerves, you know!) I don’t think any writer can ensure anything. All we can do is our best, and hope it works.

2. HUNGER and RAGE address real world issues in a fantastical manner. What advantages are there in using genre conventions to approach the more difficult parts of reality?

JK: I’ve always loved the notion of using monsters and fantastical creatures to show the struggles of humanity. In RAGE, a cutter has the opportunity to use her new blade — the Sword of War — to destroy the world, or possibly to save it. Writing fantasy, or magical realism, elevates personal battles to the level of the mythic. Doesn’t every emotional battle we go through feel like that, like the world itself depends on the outcome?

3. In HUNGER, Lisa visits some real places and some made up places as Famine. Missy visited an unnamed place as War; did it have a real world analogue?



JK: All the places Lisa visits are real places—or I suppose it’s more accurate to say they’re based on real places. Some, like Egypt, are more apparent than others. The climax of that book, for example, takes place in a country that’s, loosely speaking, Haiti. As for RAGE, the place where Missy visits as War is based on Yemen.

4. Part of the proceeds of HUNGER are donated to NEDA and part of the proceeds of RAGE are donated to To Write Love on Her Arms. Both are probably the most prominent charities addressing the issues in the novels. From what you've revealed about LOSS, it will deal with bullying. Do you already have a charity in mind? Most of those that I can think of that deal with bullied youth focus on LGBTQ kids.

JK: I do have a charity in mind, but I’ll talk about it after I’ve completed the book. :)

5. You've stated that you didn't plan to write about the other horseman until your agent asked about them. Was it harder to write Missy's story since you hadn't been planning it for years?

JK: OMG, YES. There were times when it was a true struggle. Maybe part of that is because writing HUNGER was very cathartic for me, partially because I used to be bulimic. I never self-injured, so I had to do a lot of research to understand what self-injury is, and what it’s not. But the story itself took a vastly different turn from what I had planned. HUNGER, I just wrote. For RAGE, I came up with a synopsis, but I wound up throwing it out about a third of the way into the actual writing. I had no idea how the book was going to end until I wrote the last two chapters. That was sort of terrifying, in a very cool way. (And I ate a lot of chocolate during that time. Did I mention that it soothes the nerves? Or, at least, my nerves? **grin** )

6. Which authors inspired you the most? Do you have different influences for your YA fiction than your adult fiction?



JK: So many authors!!! In terms of Horsemen of the Apocalypse influences, there’s Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (read GOOD OMENS. Read it. READ IT!!!) and Piers Anthony (ON A PALE HORSE — terrific stuff). Reading Laurie Halse Anderson’s SPEAK was truly eye-opening as to what YA fiction could be, as was John Green’s LOOKING FOR ALASKA. In terms of being inspired to write something personally meaningful, I absolutely tip my hat to Heather Brewer and Amy King.

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Riders of the Apocalypse giveaway! Three lucky winners will receive one copy each of HUNGER and RAGE along with postcards and a mini-poster! To enter, send an e-mail to RageGiveaway@gmail.com. In the body of the e-mail, include your name and e-mail address (if you're under 13, submit a parent's name and e-mail address). One entry per person and prizes will only be shipped to US or Canadian addresses. Entries must be received by midnight (PDT) on 4/30/11. Winners will be selected in a random drawing on 5/1/11 and notified via email.

Rock the Drop!

I Rock The Drop from crissachappell on Vimeo.

Just put a bookplate in a Young Adult book and leave it in a public place. Snap a photo of your drop! E-mail the photo to readergirlz AT gmail DOT com or tweet it with the tag #rockthedrop.