Showing posts with label musician. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musician. Show all posts

Book Review: Those Snow White Notes, Volume 1, by Marimo Ragawa

Those Snow White Notes, Volume 1, by Marimo Ragawa is a manga style graphic novel recently translated into English. When Setsu's grandfather died, so did Setsu's "sound"—his unique creative spark. Grieving, he goes to Tokyo to find himself, but manages to become totally, literally lost on his first day. Only a chance meeting with Yuna—aka Yuka, the hostess—saves him from being robbed. At first glance their lives seem totally different, but they're both striving for their dreams—hers, of being an actress, and his, of developing his talent with the shamisen—and it could just be that life in the raucous, unfeeling urban sprawl of Tokyo could just be what binds their fates together.
Those Snow White Notes is a story that started rather rough for me, but did capture my attention. The first few pages had me uninterested- so I took a break and switch reading material. But, I am glad that I came back to it. When I gave the book a second chance I was introduced to a variety of characters that had me interested and engaged in their interactions. By the time the volume was over I was disappointed that I did not have more to read about how these people would all continue to interact and how some of the newer characters would play into the story. The art was hit and miss for me- some of it was perfect- capturing the emotion of the music on the page- but some of the character features just did not work for me. However, that is all about personal preference not the skill or quality of the work. 

Early Book Review: Live Out Loud by Marie Meyer

Live Out Loud by Marie Meyer is a contemporary romance currently scheduled for release on April 30 2017. Harper will never be able to hear, but music has always been a source of comfort for her. The moment she saw Thorin playing his guitar, she was mesmerized. However, Thor has secrets. He's holding something back, something that's keeping the relationship from being real. Can they Harper and Thorin open up and trust each other to share the secrets they fear sharing most.

Live Out Loud is a book that drew me into the story quickly. I really enjoyed the realistic portrayal of Harper. She may be deaf, but that is not what defines her, and while it has a major part to play in her character, trust and understanding are more more important factors with her relationship with Thor. Similarly, Thor has huge trust issues, but mainly in himself and not turning out like his father. He has real issues to deal with, and success on the horizon, if only he can trust himself and let Harper in. I think the realism of both characters is very well done, however, some of the circumstances and situations made my put aside some skepticism. I have seen how hard it is for people in the music scene, so that bit was hard for me to get on board with, as was the flexibility of the employer, but those that have never seen that firsthand would never know. I found the romance and characters, which are often the most important part, were well done. I enjoyed the read and think that many other people will as well.

Live Out Loud is an engaging and enjoyable read. I liked the characters and the conflicts they had, it was a nice blend of gritty reality and pure escapism.