Monthly Archives: March 2008

Mar26

Novel Review | Steve the Penguin by Mahlena Rae Johnson

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Novel Review | Steve the Penguin by Mahlena Rae Johnson

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of a funny new novel entitled Steve the Penguinby Mahlena-Rae Johnson. I related to the book so well and found it so interesting that I did something that I haven’t done in quite a while; I finished the 189-page book in less than 24 hours! The heroine of Steve the Penguin is the likable, yet sarcastic 27-year-old single gal Bianca. Johnson manages to balance light-hearted comedy, romance, and social commentary in a refreshingly interesting way. Bianca’s thoughts on ethnicity, love, work, and sex mirror many of the things that people want to say, but, like Bianca, don’t always say aloud. Bianca is socially conscious yet socially insecure, full of ambition but at times full of self-doubt, and just like every other single twenty-something woman waiting for her Steve the Penguin to come along.

The main character, Bianca, travels back home to St. Thomas from LA for her high school reunion, where she meets up with old acquaintance, relieves the past, and asks herself what the 17-year old Bianca would think about the now 27-year old Bianca.

Steve the Penguin is definitely a witty, charming, must-read. I recommend this book to anyone out there searching for Mr. or Mrs. Right, or anyone who has enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada, Sex in the City reruns, Girlfriends, pop culture or “pop politics” in general, and anyone out there who has ever “dreaded their high school reunion.”

An added feature to this book is the you get to stay connected to the main character, Bianca, through her blog.For more information on this great new novel or to purchase a copy, visit www.stevethepenguin.com.

Mar9

Is it just me or are magazines boring?

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Is it just me or are magazines boring?

I like to read.  Naturally, I read magazines, books, newspapers, online articles, blogs, the writing of my students, and pretty much anything else that I can get my hands on. However, I have noticed that magazines are just plain boring these days. I mean, how did magazines become pages full of advertisements with articles stuck somewhere in the middle. There are multiple page advertisements, inserts, “beauty” or “lifestyle” or “technology” sections that are full of overly-priced items that the editor’s think, or pretend to think, that you should buy even though some of the products serve the same purpose as the product advertised on the last page.

Even the articles are becoming advertisements for the people who write them. They’ll have feature writers whose product, book, or website seems to be the main focus of the article. I don’t know about anyone else, but I want to read magazines to learn something about the world or about myself, not to hear about this lame artist’s newest project or this entrepreneur’s newest venture.

Also, I’ve noticed that many magazines don’t need to be published every month. They are repeating almost the exact same information from the exact same writers every month. What a waste of paper. I wonder when we as a society are going to start demanding that this waste of paper end and that magazines go online and, in order to make money as they must, simply utilize online subscriptions or individual purchases of each issue rather than waste tons of paper each year. I have one magazine subscription- Essence magazine- and I would not mind logging in to read it online rather than having piles of magazines accumulate in my home. I wonder if anyone else feels this way……Nevertheless, I will start adding reviews on which magazines to skip, which ones to browse, and which ones to buy.

Mar9

Book Review | The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama

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Book Review | The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama

Whew! It’s difficult to find a lot of time to read lately, but I have picked up a copy of Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope. For anyone who may not be aware, Illinois Senator Barack Obama is currently vying for a chance to become the Democratic Candidate for the 2008 Presidential Election. I decided to read the book after Senator Obama won a Grammy this year for reading the book on tape. The most interesting detail about this book is the fact that Obama seems surprisingly aware of the negative perceptions that people do and will express about him and his political career. In the same way that he is able to critique himself, he is also able to see the world around him quite clearly, in a way that many people who have traveled the world and who come from a unique background are able to do.

So…who should read this book? Anyone who is not sure who they want to vote for should definitely read this book- not so that they will end up supporting Obama, but so that they may get a better sense of just how wide of a scope of issues there are out there to read and think about, from the tense, distrustful relationships between politicians, to raising a family, the America dream, foreign relations, and gay rights. Whether you agree with the positions set forth in the book or not, they are certainly worth discussing.

Who will not enjoy this book? Anyone who believes that there is too much focus on “the working man” and the “underprivileged” will find it difficult to tolerate the extremely liberal positions and the focus on unity and giving someone a “hand up.” Also, after reading this book it will be difficult for one to make the argument that there is no substance in Obama’s hope message when, in fact, the whole book covers the topic in substantial detail.

I suggest picking up a copy or borrowing one from someone and reading a chapter or two, or even reading the prologue right there in the bookstore. It is not necessary to read the entire book in order to get a sense of the main thesis of the book.