Reviews

Eddie Ndopu is an accomplished South African human rights activist, with prestigious and prolific accolades from all over the globe. He was also diagnosed as an infant with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic condition that has rendered him disabled from childhood with an increasing lack of motor functions. Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw is Ndopu's memoir of his struggles and successes at Oxford University. It was also entirely written on his iPhone with his 'one good finger.'

When Ndopu applied for a Master's Degree program at Oxford, he was living in Johannesburg, South Africa. Although the university initially offered him a full ride scholarship, Ndopu still had to crowdfund to supplement his costs as an international disabled student, especially since his dedicated care aide, Lucky, was unable to accompany him. Ndopu's year at Oxford is a series of trials and achievements apart from his coursework: he is elected student body president, but his care aides are less than satisfactory. He has amazing friends, but also condescending professors. Serendipity strikes, but so does betrayal. (Stephen Hawking, another lauded disabled celebrity, makes a brief cameo, among others.) This memoir is a testament to the struggles of having a disability, but also the potential and ability of achievement.

Often described as an eloquent speaker, Ndopu's memoir is also a quick read, each page turning almost by itself. Scenes at Oxford are interspersed with flashbacks, providing relevant context to the impact of specific scenes. While the short chapters seem episodic, they are in fact part of a larger whole, spanning the entirety of Ndopu's Master's program. His experiences inform and influence his final Master's thesis, as he studies accommodation and public policy in order to advocate for other disabled people. While every experience with disability is different, Ndopu's book sheds light on the day to day experience of existing, from getting out of bed to going to the movie theater, and poignantly illustrates both the importance of inclusivity and how accommodations for some benefit society as a whole. Readers will come away from this book both entertained and enlightened, while also looking forward to more of Ndopu's work.

Readers who enjoy this book may also enjoy Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, and Travelling to Infinity by Jane Hawking, which was adapted into the hit film The Theory of Everything (2014). 

I have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of this novel ever since stumbling across Nick Medina's debut novel, Sisters of the Lost Nation (review here). Medina, a member of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and a Chicago local, draws upon his native folklore and history to craft mystery thrillers (with a dash of horror) that both incorporate Indigenous culture and raise awareness about contemporary Indigenous struggles. Sisters of the Lost Nation, for example, draws from various Native folktales about a rolling/disembodied head, but also seeks to encourage support and activism for #MMIWG (Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls). Indian Burial Ground, Medina's second book, is a prequel/follow-up to Sisters, but is most accurately a companion novel--readers don't need to read one to understand the other. If you do, there are some wonderful cameos of central and significant characters that readers will welcome like old friends. (Hi, Anna!) This book focuses more on the Takoda Tribe's origin story (starring alligators), with a dash of Coyote, and haunted by a mysterious malevolent entity. 

Indian Burial Ground follows Louie and Noemi (first appearing as supporting characters in Sisters) as they navigate life on the rez before and after the establishment of the casino featured in Book One. Louie's story is mostly told in the prequel chapters, and follows his coming-of-age story as he struggles with an alcoholic mother, his role as a teenage uncle (Noemi is his niece), and a tribe that has not yet found financial support. Future adult Noemi, on the other hand, must come to terms with the sudden death (possible suicide) of her boyfriend and the stigma regarding mental health on the rez.

Medina's storytelling masterfully weaves traditional tales with suspense, drawing the reader in while constantly wondering which accounts to believe. Mystery blends with supernatural, leaving the border between reality and imagination blurred: a technique he demonstrated skillfully in Sisters, and which returns in Indian Burial Ground. Medina is also adept at plot twists--even at the very end, the reader is kept on their toes. Will their guess be correct? What element(s) did they miss? While this novel does answer some questions left at the end of Sisters, more remain...but fear not--Medina has already announced plans for a third installment of the series!

Indian Burial Ground is perfect for fans of quick, short chapters; multi-POV narration; and alternating timelines. This is definitely a page-turner focused on humanizing social issues through the lens of individual perspectives. Fans of ambiguous supernatural elements and mythology will enjoy this book, though it is not for the faint of heart. If you enjoy Stephen Graham Jones, Oskar Hokeah, and Killers of the Flower Moon, this is a book for you! Also, for audiobook fans, the audiobook version is narrated by Indigenous/First Nations actors Gary Farmer (Reservoir Dogs) and Erin Tripp!

Fairy and folk tales are an integral part of our childhoods—we hear them from relatives, teachers, maybe even library story times. We see them in films and books, hear them in music, and learn life lessons from them: stranger danger, inner strength, self-confidence. Similarly, we return to them as adults, seeking them in new forms, perhaps passing them along to future generations. Whether Disney or Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen or traditional tales, these stories are recycled and remade to adapt and suit the world(s) that need them.

Crowned by Kahran and Regis Bethencourt exemplifies this, but also re-imagines the possibilities of a retelling. The internationally famous forces behind CreativeSoul Photography and named Canon Explorers of Light, the Bethencourts empower BIPOC children through their photography and visual storytelling, seeking to highlight beauty both within and without: specializing in child and lifestyle photography, they not only celebrate elements of Blackness such as hair and skin tone, they also bring out their subjects’ personalities through their images.

In this collection of new and (re-)imagined stories, the Bethencourts combine European lore (ex. Cinderella and Snow White) with traditional African and African American folk and fairy tales, as well as a collection of new stories for our modern urban age. The stories maintain their traditional core, but are tweaked and rewritten to connect with readers—especially Black readers—growing up in the digital age. The stories are short and quick to read, more Disney in tone than the Brothers Grimm, and emphasize lessons of strength, kindness, wisdom, and community. They highlight beauty in all its forms, from leg braces to baldness to albinism, and encourage both strong, capable girls and gentle, empathetic boys.

Most stunning of all is the photography itself—visually lush, with vibrant color and captivating collage composition, the Bethencourts incorporate both the innate traits of their models and traditional motifs from cultures all over the African continent. The costumes combine the modern and ubiquitous with the fantastical, while the hairstyles and makeup meld tradition with the chic and speculative—if spec fic genres were hairstyles, this book would have them all—truly a (Black) cosplayer’s dream! I would recommend this book for the images alone, but the visuals and text are what ties everything together. (Also, the experience of the creative process looks like so much fun, at least going by the behind-the-scenes photos at the end of the book.)

Readers who are interested in more Black short story collections may enjoy Africa Risen edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, et al. and How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin. For more retellings of Black Diaspora folktales, see Jerry Pinkney and Virginia Hamilton. For more Black authors of spec fic, try P. Djèlí Clark, N.K. Jemisin, and Octavia E. Butler.

Wow. I will admit, I wasn't sure what to make of this book when I first picked it up, but I'm truly glad I did. This standalone graphic memoir recounts the two years Kate "Katie" Beaton spent working in the Alberta oil sands in Canada as a recent college graduate entering a jobless market. Her perspective is colored by a nexus of layers: she is a young white woman from Cape Breton in Eastern Canada; like many in her home community, she migrates across the country from Francophone Canada to the British-influenced West Coast, and works in a very isolated, hypermasculine environment that wreaks havoc not only on the natural environment and First Nations communities there but also the employees themselves, who risk their health and their lives to support families back home. In her memoir, Katie, who faces her own obstacles, trauma, and--most of all--looming student loans, often wonders, If these men--who could be her brothers, father, uncles--were at home, would they be "normal"? At the same time, the oil sands are such a specific environment (especially in the pre-smartphone era early 2000s) that returning to "normal" society is like entering another dimension. This is a powerful memoir, and reminds readers to consider forgotten populations and the hows and whys of their struggles.

Beaton, an Eisner, Ignatz, Harvey, and Doug Wright Awards-winning cartoonist, renders this memoir in all its complex shades of gray. She doesn't shy away from tough topics, such as rape, the health and environmental impacts of the oil sands, the impact on Indigenous peoples, and the struggle and invisibility of blue collar workers, especially men. At the same time, she doesn't sensationalize either: these problems are widespread, but not graphically drawn; rather, the impact is depicted through vagueness and implication, while coarse dialogue and slang highlights the realistic truth of both flaws and camaraderie. Beaton is also upfront with her own social privilege and imperfect knowledge--she neither knew nor experienced the full tragedy of the oil sands on the lands they used and the people they stole from, but pulls no punches with the dark side of the industry she worked for out of necessity--the dark side of capitalism  and the hypocrisy of the "support" and "reparations" offered by bigwigs to avoid public criticism. Text aside, the panels are organized and readable, with a comfortable balance between text and images, and a grid-like layout that flows easily for both the experienced comics reader and the newcomer just dipping a toe into the medium.

As someone who knows very little about the industry and only general brushstrokes of Canadian history and social complexities, I found this memoir to be both incredibly informative and a riveting read. The title, too, remains with me--although the actual birds only appear briefly in the book, their symbolism is clear--the toxins of the oil industry stick to everyone, are very difficult to dislodge, and may eventually prove fatal. It is also a very difficult experience to imagine unless one knows what is like to be there. Readers of this memoir may also be interested in Tar Sands by Andrew Nikiforuk, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan, and Fire on the Water by Jill MacGregor. 

The year is 2086, and the world is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the cure for ESV or "the Sleep," a deadly pandemic. Adam Garfield, now ex-Navy, lost his father to ESV and is currently recovering from a bomb detonation in which he lost a leg. Rather than retire at the age of 28, he is instead recruited to join CNAS, an organization within the military that researches ESV. Adam is to be a "Companion" to the genius "Diver" Rune Winter, aka King, who is one of the most successful--if elusive--people to treat ESV patients: he "dives" into their minds (called "limbo") and heals them. However, Adam and Rune quickly realize that there may be more to ESV than meets the eye...

In a story reminiscent of Satoshi Kon's Paprika, with a gritty USA setting similar to Akimi Yoshida's Banana Fish, tough bro vibes (and loveable dog) like Cowboy Bebop, and a dash of Junji Ito's horror, Ai Tanaka weaves an intriguing and intricate world not so different from our own. The premise is interesting, though it may at times brush the limits of the reader's suspension of disbelief. Originally published in Japan in 2017, parts of the series may also feel prophetic, especially to English readers in 2024. Still, readers will be quickly sympathetic to Adam and Rune. Fans of action, (psychological) suspense, and high-tech sci-fi won't be disappointed. This is a series that I will likely read to its conclusion and am definitely looking forward to volume two!

A cat person myself, the novel piqued my interest for titular reasons, but also authorial ones. Before this, I knew Hiro Arikawa only for Library Wars (for which I'd read the manga but not the original novels...yet!), a futuristic semi-dystopia about libraries fighting against censorship and romance(s) blooming between bibliophiles. I'd enjoyed that series but had no idea what to expect with this book, which is a complete tone and genre switch.

Nana, a hardy stray cat in modern-day Tokyo, is gradually won over by his eventual human, Satoru, who leaves food regularly by Nana's favorite spot on Satoru's silver van. When Nana is suddenly injured, Satoru cares for him and Nana, in true feline fashion, eventually adopts him as his person. Time passes and these two bachelors live happy domestic lives together until one day Satoru decides to take Nana on a road trip in their trusty silver van. They make four stops, each corresponding to a different part of Satoru's life, and the truth behind Satoru's intentions is slowly revealed further at each location.

Told in a combination of Nana's first-person narration and the third-person perspectives of the various characters who appear in the book, the story is heartwarming and small in scope, focusing on the importance and impact one's relationships have on one's life. The humans--or aspects of them--are often reflected in their pets; this reminds readers that animal companions are just as much family members as humans are. With nods to other famous cat-centered works such as Natsume Sōseki's I Am A Cat, this book is a good choice for cat lovers, light novels, and fans of domestic, realistic fiction. Each chapter is connected but fairly self-contained, so it's a book versatile enough to binge or read little by little.

Fans of The Travelling Cat Chronicles may also enjoy The Boy and the Dog by Hase Seishū and If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura, as well as Arikawa's novel The Goodbye Cat, and A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.

At seventeen years old, Anna Horn wants nothing more than to fly under the radar. Graduate high school, clean casino hotel rooms (her part-time job), and maybe eventually be brave enough to start a cultural preservation society for the Takoda Tribe on the rez. She'd also ideally like to reconnect with her younger sister, Grace. However, change is coming to the rez, and Anna--like it or not--is drawn into the heart of things when Grace goes missing. Stuck in a tangled knot of jurisdictional arguments and complicated race relations, Anna is the only person who can find answers...if the disembodied rolling head of her nightmares doesn't get to her first.

Sisters of the Lost Nation is local author Nick Medina's debut novel, which blends Indigenous folklore with real, ongoing social issues in this mystery/suspense/thriller. Although the Takoda Tribe is fictitious, Medina is a member of the Louisiana Tunica-Biloxi Tribe; much of the rez setting is inspired by his heritage. Medina's writing raises awareness of the "silent crisis" of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, while uplifting Native communities through the richness and revitalization of their cultural heritage. Just as Anna learns how her people's stories can empower her, so, too, can we be reminded how the past can inform and influence the future.

Readers interested in stories about Indigenous heritage, identities, and/or life on the rez may enjoy A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power, Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah, Reclaiming Two-Spirits by Gregory D. Smithers, and Rez Metal. Other Indigenous authors of interest may include Stephen Graham Jones and Rebecca Roanhorse. Those interested in history may like Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, and An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, while those interested in Indigenous folktales may enjoy American Indian Myths and Legends edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz. Finally, readers may want to peruse curated booklists for Native American Heritage Month: Fiction and Nonfiction, as well as Sisters of the Lost Nation Readalikes.

I will admit, if I’d read this book as a student studying creative writing, I would have put down my pen and switched my major because the book I’d always dreamed of writing now existed. She Who Became the Sun, the first book of a duology by Shelley Parker-Chan (they/them pronouns), combines alternate Chinese history with a dash of fantasy; it features complex characters, intricate plot, and explores LGBTQIA+ themes (especially gender), family duty, and revenge. The book is Parker-Chan’s debut novel.

She Who Became the Sun reimagines the origin story of the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644): What if he wasn’t actually a ‘he’? Told from opposing but equally complicated protagonists, the novel follows historical figure Zhu Chongba (a peasant turned Buddhist monk who would become the Hongwu Emperor) and the fictional Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) eunuch general Ouyang (whose family had been executed by the ruling Mongols). Although they are set on enemy sides of the historical Red Turban Rebellion/Yuan Dynasty conflict, they may have more in common than they think. Fans of political intrigue and plot twists may enjoy this story, as would connoisseurs of historical fiction and fans of both strong female characters and nuanced relationships between men.

Readers who enjoy She Who Became the Sun may also be interested in the sequel, He Who Drowned the World and Parker-Chan’s list of real historical figures that appear in the series. Novels with similar themes include The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri, The Unbroken by C.L. Clark, and A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark. Fans of epic fantasies may like The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu and A Hero Born by Jin Yong (trans. Anna Holmwood), while those interested in alternate history-fantasy series may enjoy His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik and The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Other nonbinary authors of interest include Xiran Jay Zhao (Iron Widow, they/them pronouns) and Neon Yang (Genesis of Misery, they/them pronouns).

"All the people have the right of access to library materials whenever they need them."

—Statement on Intellectual Freedom in Libraries, Japan Library Association

As Banned Book Week 2023 has come and gone, I am reminded of a series that I first read as an adolescent, but which rings even more hauntingly now. Library Wars: Love & War, drawn by Kiiro Yumi, is a manga (Japanese graphic novel) adapted from an award-winning light novel series by Hiro Arikawa. The light novels were originally published in the mid-2000s in Japan, with the manga first published in 2008 and its English translation (by Kinami Watabe) in 2010.

The story takes place in an alternate future Japan, not so different from our world, except for one key fact: censorship has become not only accepted, but widespread, enforced by a government agency called the Media Betterment Committee. This committee censors and restricts all media, including books. In response, libraries created Defense Forces, which protect libraries' freedom to acquire and circulate materials in their collections and to thereby resist censorship, a last bastion of intellectual freedom. 

Iku Kasahara, an athletic airhead and passionate bookworm, is not only the first woman in her library's Defense Force, but also the first woman on the Task Force—an elite group of Defense Force members who are charged not just with protecting the library and its patrons, but also with day-to-day desk work done by non-combatant librarians and library staff. She has dreamed of joining the Defense Force ever since an agent saved one of her favorite books from censorship when she was a teenager. However, will her grumpy superior officer Sergeant Dojo and condescending fellow recruit Corporal Tezuka wear her down? (And how do you find that one book, anyway?!)

Inspired by the Japan Library Association's Statement on Intellectual Freedom in Libraries, Library Wars is a fun, light mix of science fiction, drama, workplace romance, and food for thought. While the reader learns, laughs, and struggles along with Iku, they simultaneously must consider the ethical quandaries of censorship, and where (or how, or if) a line must be drawn.

While the original Library Wars novels have not yet been translated into English, readers interested in Arikawa's work may enjoy The Traveling Cat Chronicles. For another fictional work centered around censorship, try Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Fans of Library Wars may also enjoy the live action films and the anime adaptation of the same name. (The anime is available on Crunchyroll via the International Roku Stick).

Tiger, Tiger is the first print volume of the 2019 Eisner-nominated webcomic (ongoing) of the same name, by Petra Erika Nordlund. Nordlund, a Finnish comic creator, is also the author/artist of the webcomic Prague Race. Gorgeously illustrated, Tiger, Tiger is a swashbuckling fantasy adventure story about a young noble named Ludovica, who dreams of the marine world far from her mansion home. One day, she sneaks out of an opulent party celebrating the return of her twin brother, Remy, and absconds with his ship and his identity in order to study her beloved sea sponges. Accompanying her as a reluctant but concerned accomplice is Jamis, Remy's best friend (and Ludo's fiance). However, as Ludo learns more about life at sea, she begins to realize that the world as she knows it may be more complex than it seems.

Depicted in beautifully rendered grayscale (with a vibrantly colored cover), Tiger, Tiger contains both whimsical, bubbly humor, and dramatic hints foreshadowing the monsters to come. The worldbuilding is intricate and the characters lovable, while the lore (and Ludo's fascination with sea sponges) are an ode to the beauty and mystery of the sea. Nordlund also includes bonus gag comics between each chapter as lighthearted interludes.

Fans of Tiger, Tiger may also enjoy: Monstress by Marjorie Liu, The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz, Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama, The Girl from the Sea by Molly Ostertag, and The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe.