Black Moon

“Black Moon” follows three main character groups through a crisis that leaves the people of their world incapable of sleeping. Matt Biggs and his wife Carolyn, who have not yet succeeded in having a child, are introduced first. Biggs is leaving his career in advertisement, which he can’t stand. Carolyn makes stop-motion films, and is totally into her work. Before this all started, Carolyn had had trouble sleeping, normal insomnia. Next are Chase, who has ED and makes a painful attempt to overcompensate, and his friend Jordan, who has a bad eye. We learn of Chase’s ex-girlfriend Felicia, who comes to more prominence midway through the book. Last, there is Lila, a teenager whose parents, like almost everyone else, failed against insomnia. Her father is paranoid about what is causing this whole situation; paranoia also appearing to be a symptom of the epidemic.

H is for Hawk

Part of why “H is for Hawk” is so good is because it is so different. Others have had a hard time finding a category for this work; so do I. The word “passion” may be over used, but Helen MacDonald has a true dedication to falconry. Her father, a world-class photographer, passed away, and Helen turned to this sport, if “sport” is even the right word. In particular, she chose to fly a goshawk, who she named Mabel. More on why a goshawk in a moment. You will see why, perhaps, but I won’t tell you why she chose that name for the bird.

Sketch!

Sketch! is one of those books that celebrates the process of making art, when things might not need to be said, if only to motivate the reader to get to work (is that why there’s an exclamation point in the title?). The author relates why drawing is still relevant, and this is indeed a friendly jump-starter for non-artists. Links to relevant websites are provided throughout, for further ideas.