Another book for the Did-Not-Finish-List

The dreaded Did-Not-Finish list. Every reader has one. It is the books that were so complicated or convoluted that it makes it impossible to finish and enjoy the story. There are only a few on my list of books I could not finish, most recently I and You by Beverly Garside. When I accepted the request to review this book, I was excited about the story. It was described as a world in which the principles of Ayn Rand of objectivism are applied in the United States in 2098. The pronoun “we” had been replaced with the ideologically correct “I and You.”

When the book arrived, I was disappointed. First, it was huge. It is 8x10 sized with 205 pages. It is the size of some of my college textbooks, which makes it hard to read laid back and relaxed. Second, I didn’t realize it was a graphic novel. Although I do read comic books and graphic novels from time to time, they aren’t my primary reading material. But I tried to give it a go. I read for quite a number of pages and I realized that I was following the story and I really didn’t care about the characters or the events that were taking place.

This book maybe be great and filled with many great insights about society and the society we may become one day. It may appeal to fans of Ayn Rand and her philosophies. I’ve only read one of her books and it was a good book but difficult to get through. If you are a fan of Ayn Rand and her novels and you enjoy graphic novels, this is the book for you. Unfortunately, I could not finish it. 

The Hockey Saint: a lesson in celebrity idols

The Hockey Saint by Howard Shaprio is a graphic novel which is the second book of the Forever Friends Trilogy. It is the unlikely friendship between Tom Leonard, a struggling college sophomore and hockey great, Jeremiah Jacobson. The events that occur will change the lives of both Tom and Jeremiah.

The story opens with Tom is awaken from a strange dream about his parents. Tom meets Jeremiah through a twist of fate and the two become fast friends but their friendship is put to the test when Tom discovers the secrets that Jeremiah tries so hard to hide. When Tom confronts Jeremiah about his secrets, Jeremiah must decide to seek help and save his career and his life or go down in flames.

When I requested to review this book, I didn’t realize that it was a graphic novel but I decided to give it a go anyway. The illustrations by Marcia Inoue and color work by Andres Mossa are beautiful and very realistic. The story is very compelling as many people fail to realize that our celebrity idols are human too and they have faults and will make mistakes like any regular person. The graphic novel will appeal to young boys and men who enjoy reading the sequential art of comic books and graphic novels. It is a fast paced story which I was able to read quickly. I recommend The Hockey Saint for its story with a great message.

The Hockey Saint is available on Amazon

in paperback for $13.95