Best of 2013: Book Edition

Before you go all "where the f*** is The Goldfinch, you insipid bibliophile?"*, yes I didn't finish much of the big releases of last year. I'm sorry, I really am. More to myself, but still to the few readers that wanted to know what I thought about Doctor Sleep (actually, I'm not fond of it, more on another day) and other big -timers. Either way, here is eight books released in 2013 that I did love and want you to check out (if you already haven't).

8. Eminent Hipsters by Donald Fagen
  Short yet sweet and funny like the author; ...Hipsters is less of an extensive memoir and more of a collection of autobiographical essays. They still get the point across about Fagen, a portrait of the artist as a young man (get it?). I really love Fagen being portrayed as that grumpy professor the students all love but the faculty hate. A great afternoon read.

7. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
  Oh look, Stephen King's son wrote a damn good book. It's about biker chicks, space and time being ripped apart by random objects, and a strange-ass serial killer! And yes, that is my selling point. Go get it and have a blast.

6. Odds Against Tomorrow by Nathaniel Rich
  If there was any new book I was eager to read, it was this one. And thank goodness, it was worth the wait, the time and money used to get the book, and the reading experience. It is a strange one, following a young man with a tendency to predict major disasters. When he foresees a major hurricane-like storm hitting New York City, it becomes a tale of survival atop a dissertation on corporate life and the nature of tortured geniuses in this century.

5. Storm Kings: The Untold Story of America’s First Tornado Chasers by Lee Sandlin
  Warning: this is my inner meteorologist about to geek out here. At first, this book was a little slow, but as you get past the first two chapters, it picks up with the speed of an unexpected windstorm. This book is not only a hidden history uncovered, but a humbling reminder how meteorology as we know it is still a young science. It is a marvel it has gotten this far, who knows what the future holds?**

4. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
  Oh my God, a YA book that isn't an insufferable mess! The story follows a young woman living in the red light district (Storyville) of New Orleans and her attempts to escape her abusive mother and a housekeeping job at a brothel while applying for a prestigious college; all the while solving a strange murder mystery atop that.

3. Turn Around Bright Eyes by Rob Sheffield
  Yep, also talked about this one here before. But, my opinion didn't change. It is a funny and wonderful look into the world of karaoke and the people who love to sing despite the lack of training. It is also an intimate look on how Mr. Sheffield found new love in a woman who would love karaoke as much as he did. Loved it, just as great as his previous books.

2. Angelopolis by Danielle Trussoni
  Man, I hate getting into series in progress. I already talked about this book to a lesser extent, but I will reiterate one thing: DAT ENDING. My God. Where is the last book, Ms. Trussoni?!

1. Adulting by Kelly Williams Brown
  Thank all that is heavenly possible for Ms. Williams Brown. Thanks to her, I have regained faith in my generation and especially women my age. This book is just plain wonderful and I wish it was around when I was younger, but what ya gonna do? It is full of wonderful advice, so good that I just reread it this month! Go buy it and read it, then go enjoy her blog.

~

This post was brought to you by a photo of me on the Eiffel Tower, circa 2010, taken by my sister:

I still have that jacket, believe it or not.

~

Side note: After reading Night Film, as I briefly talked about here, I have to say one thing to Ms. Pessl: you just had to kill the supernatural angle that late in the game, didn't ya?

*If I had finished The Goldfinch in time for this list, Ms. Tartt and Ms. Williams Brown would be sharing the literary crown, as Ms. Teng and Ms. Calvi are already doing for music.

**God, I still want to be a storm chaser and this book didn't help at all.

Spoils of San Francisco

My epic trip to San Francisco yielded a lot of wonderful spoils: records, books, and other fun goodies! (Each picture will have a small story, so there ya go.)

~DAY 1~

Amoeba Music on Haight was the place I was looking forward to going to the most. It ended up being totally worth it. Future SF stops will include a venture to this fine place. The first thing I did when I went in the store was look for Perfect Blue. I was shocked to find it so much that I hugged it as I went to search for other things. (If you haven't seen the movie yet, I highly recommend it!)

Finding the Jerry Harrison/Casual Gods single was awesome. The single cover wasn't what I thought, which makes it even  better. Though I wanted "Man with A Gun"...

Streetlight Records was a nice little shop, but didn't yield too much other this gem. I've been wanting this on VHS for a long time. It was only a buck. I should've gotten ripped off like on eBay, but nope. Totes legit.

My first bookstore stop. This was a great little place, I would go back if I had the time to go to more than one store. Read Running Wild in one night (a damn good novel BTW). Haven't touched the Carter novel yet.

The store had a resident cat, a big 'ol orange kitty. I got to pet him (?) and he was sweet.

Recycled Records was a surprise hit of a place. The cashier was a cool dude. The first thing I did was go for the H's to find "Man with A Gun". Nope, instead found the 12" of "Rev It Up". I about burst into hysterical laughter. Why u follow me, song? You're not even my favorite!

The big find was the Martini Ranch album. For those who don't know, it was the band Bill Paxton was in before he became a big movie star. It came with a promo packet of pics and a letter from Sire Records. Oh and another thing... yes, they're actually good.

~DAY 2~

I took the BART to Berkeley (a wonderful little college town BTW) to visit the main Amoeba Music. I wasn't as impressed with this one as much as the Haight location. Though I found a eff-ton of singles and the first issue of Radio Silence, which is a really cool literary/rock magazine.

While walking around Telegraph Avenue (yes, all I can think of is the Michael Chabon book and this song), I discovered Rasputin Music. It made up for the lackluster Amoeba experience. The album next to the Bob Welch record is a 12" single of Lindsey Buckingham's "Go Insane".

I also found two Talking Heads singles: "Life During Wartime" and "I Zimbra". While looking through them, I found the French release of "I Zimbra", which I already had.

And whoops, bought a Peter Gabriel record I already had. And missed out on the German ones 'cause of my dumbassery. Boooooo.

Yeaaaa, Grooves (back in SF) had my favorite Band record! Crank it up! Liiiiiiife is a carnival, believe it or not...

Rasputin Music in SF wasn't as cool as the
Berkeley location. Though I got this Berlin single...

I wasn't that impressed with the deYoung Museum, though I fell in love with the painting that I got a postcard of. It's called "Mother Earth" by Chiura Obata. The woman modeling as the titular figure is his wife. A really wonderful idea of Mother Earth not being some mythical-looking white woman in flowing robes, but a Japanese woman in the nude (ala Eve) and in a more earthly light. I read on the info plaque that Mrs. Obata was pregnant when this was done (or I read wrong, I dunno). Makes it even more powerful.

OMG, snack foods! Bought then at the Japan Center. I love shrimp chips and strawberry Pocky a ton. I also love the honey twists, those things taste like a cereal I used to have as a kid.

The Chocorooms were okay, as was the almond Pocky. Two of the chopstick sets and wrapped bowls were for my sister and her boyfriend. The book and other chopstick set were mine. And I nommed on nearly all the foods before bringing a few things home.

~DAY 4~

My final day... *sigh*. I went to various places and a big one was Ghirardelli Square. I got a free sample and then searched for some tins o' chocolate to bring home. The dark brown one is the one I got for myself (and I later appropriated as a place to hold things) and the streetcar one is for my sister. This was the thing I was gonna surprise her with. She dug it.

City Lights was the biggest stop I've been waiting for. It is absolutely wonderful and warrants repeat visits until either it closes down or I die a ripe old age. After reading so much about The Flamethrowers, I gave in and bought it. I also sat down and read Ginsberg's Howl for the first time ever inside the bookstore. Seemed appropriate.

The bag has since then acted as a tiny purse of sorts. And both the Ferlinghetti poetry books were wonderful.

And finally, at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, I went to this amazing exhibit about Impressionists and boating (it is still at the museum until October, I think). Definitely go see it!

I bought a poster and some postcards. Lovely stuff.






This took me forever, mostly because of the pictures. Posting pictures on Blogger is a HUGE PAIN OMG. Some were flipped even when I already flipped them so everyone could see them better, WTF?

Best of 2012: Book Edition

Since I'm gonna do these lists on here now, I'm not gonna add too much review nor link them to my bookstore's website. Instead, I'll let you use your favorite source for books (indie stores, library, audiobooks, e-books, borrowing from someone, etc.) to find these titles.

So here they are, my favorite books of 2012! Enjoy!

Best of 2011: Book Edition

I may actually finish reading some 2011 releases during January 2012 and may redo this list to reflect the newer choices. Otherwise, here it is as of this time...

(Quite a few of these have already been reviewed, so I won't rehash much...)

Number 10- Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

• This took me a long time to finish (that's why you should only read a few books at a time, children), but it was worthwhile. It is a sad story of a family falling apart, traditions changing and fading, how one girl's hopes must either adapt or be erased regarding the situation. It fails tremendously at the final chapter, but I do look forward to Russell's future works and the eventual HBO series on this book.

Number 9- The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding From You by Eli Pariser

• Another book that will make you scared of the Internet. Moveon.org board member Pariser gives you a pretty damn good reason to fear the Google. It may be giving you biased search results, even when you want the other side of the story. And no, clearing your history won't do much (trust me, I wondered that too). Instead of taking it, read this book and learn how to fight it.

Number 8- The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

• A fascinating and humorous look on the world of psychology, especially on the focus of sociopaths. Ronson is sent on an adventure to figure out a strange puzzle that was sent to him, leading to meeting a falsely-imprisoned(?) sociopath, which goes down the rabbit hole further into psychology and testings and meeting professors that may know as much about sociopaths as the layman does.

Number 7- Nanjing Requiem by Ha Jin

• A wonderful, though a tad rushed, novel from the POV of Minnie Vautrin's fictional assistant during the Nanjing Massacre. The atrocity's worst parts are covered, though not as explicitly as I expected. The horror is still there in the accounts from the victims they take in. None of the experiences are glossed over here. A historical event that must never be forgotten.

Number 6- Fantastic Women: 18 Tales of the Surreal and Sublime from Tin House edited by Rob Spillman

• I have already reviewed this book in extent, so I can only reiterate that you must buy this book as soon as possible. The stories are amazing and haunting. Give these awesome lady writers some of your time and money.

Number 5- Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction To Its Own Past by Simon Reynolds

• Once more, I have talked about this book a couple of times and only will reiterate its eventual purchase and addition to your library. If anything, read it for the first half.

Number 4- Outdated: Why Dating Is Ruining Your Love Life by Samhita Mukhopadhyay

• A last-minute addition, this feminist approach to the wild world of dating is a breath of life-saving air. For those confused and happy alone or just having casual sex, or whatever you're into, this book will make you feel welcome. While it doesn't offer hardcore tips, it is a basics manual for the new and the seasoned.

Number 3- In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination by Margaret Atwood

• Atwood schools you good in her extended love letter to the long-suffering genre of science fiction. She does more than praise it, she covers the shining examples and tries to solve the age-old puzzle of how to keep refreshing the genre.

Number 2- The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

• A hauntingly beautiful book that should've won the National Book Award (despite this, Salvage the Bones looks to be a wonderful book), Otsuka's story of a group of Japanese picture brides and their trip to America, in search of marriage and new lives. It is a gut-puncher, but it must be read. The stories must no longer be limited to the few. How else can we learn?

Number 1- Out of the Vinyl Deeps: Ellen Willis on Rock Music edited by Nona Willis Aronowitz

• Ellen Willis' legacy continues today, thanks to lady writers in the music business and renewed interest in her writings. My tribute (and review) can be found here. Let us continue by giving this book the time of day and a permanent place on our bookshelves. Long live the lady music writer. 

Here is a small list of other books I read this year that deserve special mention:
Feminism Is For Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks
Rip It Up and Start Again by Simon Reynolds 
Rose: Love in Violent Times by Inga Muscio
Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen by Larry McMurtry
A Year in Japan by Kate T. Williamson
Harley, Like A Person by Cat Bauer 
Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood
Another Green World (33 1/3) by Geeta Dayal
Talking to Girls About Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield
Hiroshima by John Hersey
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
Hamlet’s BlackBerry by William Powers

Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2011: Book Review 2 of 5

after the quake
By Haruki Murakami
Barnes & Noble link

*Note: this is the second of five reviews for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge*

Short stories are a strange animal. You are telling the story of people, places, and things; and yet you only have a limited amount of time. All there is time for is the important stuff, the "greatest hits" of it, if you would. It takes a different set of skills to reach shortened-literary perfection. Even novelists are daunted by them. Haruki Murakami remained, as usual, undaunted by a challenge. While he's done it before, he achieved his finest hour in after the quake.

The book, containing six stories, is a condolence letter to a confused and hurt nation. At the time of writing, Kobe was struck by a massive earthquake. It killed many, destroyed infrastructure, and sent the whole nation into a dark state of worry. Each tale focuses on how the earthquake has affected the denizens. All share one thing in common: it is a time of growth, a time of change, and a time for courage.

The one story that I always return to in this book is the concluding "Honey Pie", about Junpei and his longing for his best friend Sayoko. She had married Junpei's best friend and had a daughter named Sala. Eventually, the couple divorced. The earthquake complicated matters more (it gave Sala nightmares). To comfort the scared child, Junpei tells her the story of two friendly bears. Throughout, the story begins to reflect the situation between Junpei and his friend. And the more Sayoko sees of Junpei, the more the longing becomes undeniable. "Honey Pie" is sad, full of regret and unrequited love. It is a true representation of what happens during a national tragedy: it marks the air, but time ticks on.

All the stories deserve attention. They are surrealistic ("Super-frog Saves Tokyo"), reflective ("Landscape in Flatiron", "All God's Children Can Dance"), and bittersweet ("UFO in Kushiro", "Thailand"). All different flavors of human experience. And they are classic Murakami. People in unusual situations, asking how to continue even during a time of fear and mourning.

With the citizens struggling to shake off the recent tragedies in Fukushima and the rest of northern Japan, the book and its stories become not just a symbol of the past, but of the present times. Literature can scare us, inform us, and trick us. But it also can heal us. Remind us of the silly old sayings that we tell ourselves each morning: "life will go on", "tomorrow is a new day", etc. Even if you don't believe that, it helps to see that you are not alone in the struggle to survive.

May this book and many others like it heal us all during this times of rage and thunder and quakes.

"Our hearts are not stones. A stone my disintegrate in time and lose its outward form. But hearts never disintegrate. They have no outward form, and whether good or evil, we can always communicate them to one another. All God's children can dance."

- from "All God's Children Can Dance" on page 68

COPYRIGHT NOTE: all bold quotes are from the novel and were written by the author himself. Those words are not my own. 

Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2011: Book Review 1 of 5

South of the Border, West of the Sun
By Haruki Murakami
Barnes & Noble link

*Note: this is the first of five reviews for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge*

When it comes to writing about lost love in an earnest tone, Haruki Murakami delivers in spades. If you need further evidence, please consult Sputnik Sweetheart and Norwegian Wood. He writes another story of lost love, and this time, there is nothing that stand between the two... well, except the two. Lovers go to battle with their own demons in South of the Border, West of the Sun.

Hajime, a middle-aged man, has a wonderful life: a loving wife, two adorable daughters, two successful jazz clubs, and riches that one could only dream of. And yet, his heart and mind are on a long-lost friend, a woman named Shimamoto. Years pass without them seeing each other, maybe never again. A series of strange events, including Hajime seeing Shimamoto and following her throughout the city (which them leads to a guy paying him to stop following her), have them finally meet up. But, after years of living between their last union, Shimamoto is carrying her own secrets.

The characters are a mix of interesting and surprisingly bland. Hajime's only interests are reading and listening to music, which make up for his otherwise... dull-as-dishwater personality. Though, in the beginning, he ends up showing a semblance of self-awareness:

That ultimately  I am a person who can do evil. I never consciously tried to hurt anyone, yet good intentions notwithstanding, when necessity demanded, I could be completely self-centered, even cruel. I was the kind of person who could, using some plausible excuse, inflict on a person I cared for a wound that would never heal.

-page 48 of the book

Even with that, Hajime doesn't seem to learn from his own reflections (see: his confessed affairs while his wife was pregnant). While having the same interests, Shimamoto is more interesting. Then again, we didn't read about most of her life. Hajime is hiding nothing, not even his honest (yet despicable) confessions.

Hajime and Shimamoto try to reignite that flame, but their mortal enemies (themselves and their problems) prevent it. He is afraid of hurting others just to get what he wants, while she has hidden issues keeping her from getting close. It is sad yet human. We all come along with baggage, even if your life was ideal. Yet, there comes a time to either let it all get lost in Baggage Claim forever; or, set it aside and give your shoulders a rest and asset what you've been carrying around for so long. Both characters are going for the former approach.

Shimamoto's life remains a mystery. Why can't she give herself fully to Hajime? From all the little details about her clothing and jet-setting-like lifestyle, my guess is she is either married to a wealthy man (e.g., Yakuza) or is a high-class prostitute. Even if she had one of those things going for her, couldn't she say "screw it" and just do whatever she wanted? Or did something else happen? We'll never know and guessing only leads to more confusion.

Even with the rich details of the nature of relationships and how problems plague people, this remains my least favorite Murakami novel. Maybe I was expecting more to transpire. There was much satisfaction to knowing how Hajime is, but knowing absolutely nothing about Shimamoto seems unfair. But the one-sided perspective is possibly the point: Hajime talks about himself so damn much that we (and he) never really pay attention. Or that, when we read beyond his words, see what he's observing and not commenting on, we learn the truth. Dramatic Irony 101 right there.

South of the Border, West of the Sun is a good read into the nature of men and women, but offers only that. Why should we expect advice? Human nature doesn't come with instructions.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: all bold quotes are from the novel and were written by the author himself. Those words are not my own.

It's time to kick ass and eat jerky... and I don't have any jerky.

Since seeing a counselor, I have gotten a grasp on things and ready to take some action to get things moving again on this blog. Of course, that and my life. But I'm gonna assume you already knew that.

Anyway! First off, I will finish my all my review plans, and of course, the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge. After that, for 2012, I'm going to do "The Year of Revisits". I'm going to review my top 12 favorite books of all time, one book a month. If I want to review anything new or old, I will, but that will be about it. This will be my last year of those "end-of-the-year" lists. If I happen to read enough to constitute those kinds of lists, awesome! But it has worn down on me in recent days, so it's no longer gonna be a big priority.

As for these initial plans, I'm scrapping the Charlotte Hatherly album and replacing it with Murakami's new book 1Q84. I will get a move-along on everything listed here. They're severely overdue.

I'm off for a road trip and a concert in the evening. See y'all later!

Yeeeeessssss...

Here is the U.S. cover for 1Q84:

Picture from here (go there for more info about the cover, including an interview with the designer).

Man, it looks great. Loving the eyes peeking through the title. Very haunting.

Apparently, it was made by the same dude who did the cover for Donna Tartt's The Secret History.

/Murakami nerd

Go Patti Smith!

Joyous news! Smith's memoir Just Kids was awarded the National Books Award for Nonfiction. This is an excellent book, probably one of the best musician memoirs I've read so far. I originally read an excerpt (in all places) in Rolling Stone. Bought the magazine out on a whim and came across the excerpt, read it, and then I bought the book on its first day of release.

In honor of such an achievement for this amazing lady and equally-amazing novel, I shall reread it and review it. In addition, a bonus review of her prime album Horses. Expect this all on the first week of December!

~

Go here for information about the book and its author and watch a clip of Ms. Smith reading the book, along with a nice a cappella performance of "Because the Night":

Dude, I love the Internet.

*To those who are interested, I'm now posting on Tuesdays and Thursdays on my Tumblr*

So, as usual, I was faffing about on the Internet when I came across one of my new favorite blogs: Women Running from Houses. It got me to thinking about a long-lost book I saw/had many years ago. All I recall was the title had "fire" and "emerald" and there was a lady running from the house (hence why the aforementioned blog had me recalling it). Now that I think of it, this sounds like a request someone would make at my job. Aieeee.

Anyway, sure enough, 20 minutes of Googling led me to this. I'm so fucking awesome.

Now looking at it, the title is purple prose like whoa. But man... I kinda want to read it. It's gonna be predictable and ridiculous, but why the hell not read it?

Then, I decided to solve more childhood mysteries. Okay, I recalled a teen series with a character with the surname McVie. (I kept seeing results for Christine McVie. Kinda lulzy.) Annnnd survey says... boo-yah! Here's the trippy part: I never read the series, just happened upon an advert in an old book and remembered the last name (yes, because of the Fleetwood Mac keyboardist).

Thanks to the Internet, I can relive some wonderful childhood memories. Oh wait. Except this one. Uggghhh.

In honor of Banned Books Week...

I'm currently reading Orwell's classic 1984. It is fast becoming another all-time favorite. It might even be a little better than Fahrenheit 451, though I do plan on reading that one once I finish 1984 so I can make a comparison.

Banned Books Week started Saturday, but you can catch up! Here's what you can do:

1. Read a banned book or two (find a list on the interwebz or ask your favorite book-reader friend for recommendations!)
2. Go hug a librarian, teacher, or bookseller (they're the reasons we can still get access to banned books)
3. Give a high-five to writers that you know (let them know that their voices are appreciated)
4. Go hug/high-five/bake a yummy cake/all the above those who fight for banned books to remain in libraries, bookstores, and in classrooms

Want some banned/challenged book suggestions? Here you go!

Fahrenheit 451
1984
A Wrinkle in Time (yes, I know, WTF world?)
The Harry Potter series
To Kill A Mockingbird
Looking For Alaska (yeah, lemme have John Green himself explain it)
Carrie
Beloved
The Handmaid's Tale (sadly, it was challenged in my hometown a few years back. Damn people.)

Happy reading!

Imagine A Title Here

In all honesty, I planned to skip writing a post tonight, but I made a deal to myself to update every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And so, here I am.

I have nothing much to say, despite my hopes earlier for something more substantial. I'm finishing a book on Shirley Jackon's life, which makes me want to revisit everything by her ASAP. But due to the growing stacks of books, a reread of her bibliography will have to wait.

And I rather not talk about writing. I'm too mad at myself at the moment about my discipline. But yet, I do know one thing for sure: I do miss it.

Whoa, Nelly! It's storytime!

Okay, no review today or anything about writing. Instead, I drove my ass up to a William Gibson book signing. It was about two hours (thirty minutes longer 'cause I got sidetracked several times). It took about the same time returning home only because most of the highway going into town was closed off for construction. The cool thing is that driving out of town was one of my goals. So yeah, three down and forty to go! (Yes, last time I counted, I did it wrong. This is why I'm an English graduate.) I should note that I never drove out of town before, not until tonight. And it was nearly four hours total, going to and from!

One more thing: I'm changing goal #34 to: making my own Talking Heads shirt. I need one in my life, so I shall create it.

~

Wait. You dunno who William Gibson is? Get schooled!

So yeah, after waiting twenty minutes, I got my copies of his latest and Neuromancer signed. Pictorial evidence, y'all:

He was pretty cool, and freaking tall too. Like over six feet for sure. He had this leisurely way of speaking, but if you watch this clip of him from the eighties, he's always talked like that:



I asked him what his favorite J.G. Ballard novel was (he mentioned the author during the Q&A, in terms of influences). He didn't have a definitive favorite, but said "all of them were good". That is a valid answer.

So not only did I achieve a big goal, I got to meet the guy who came up with the term "cyberspace". Ace.

Until next time, Hazmat-wearing ponies.

Top Ten Lists ('cause I was bored, okay?!)

"Invisible" is coming along, currently on Part 1 with over 6,000+ words. I'm trying to crank in about 1,000-2,000 words a day. Most of it is retyping scenes from older drafts. Whee, split screens! But it's fun to resurrect scenes with new ideas, seeing them coming to a new life.

~

While faffing about instead of working on "Invisible", I came up with a definitive list of my top ten favorite books, albums, and movies. The books list is a reworking of an older list I posted eons ago.

Here you go, for your reading pleasure!

My Top Ten Books:

1. A House Like A Lotus by Madeleine L'Engle
2. Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor
3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4. The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
5. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
6. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
7. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
8. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
9. after the quake by Haruki Murakami
10. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
(Bonus! 11. What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson)

My Top Ten Albums:

1. Fear of Music by Talking Heads
2. Out of the Cradle by Lindsey Buckingham
3. Hounds of Love by Kate Bush
4. The Nightfly by Donald Fagen
5. Silent Hill 2 Soundtrack by Akira Yamaoka
6. My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Brian Eno and David Byrne
7. Warm Strangers by Vienna Teng
8. Security by Peter Gabriel
9. Little Love Affairs by Nanci Griffith
10. The Nylon Curtain by Billy Joel
(Bonus! 11. The Red and the Black by Jerry Harrison)

My Top Ten Movies:

1. Casablanca
2. The Agony and the Ecstasy
3. The Shining
4. Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
5. The Silence of the Lambs
6. Brazil
7. Jacob’s Ladder
8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
9. Vertigo
10. Empire Records
(No bonus, but I can't decide between Suspiria, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Misery)

~

There you go. Feel free to share your favorites, very interested to see what y'all have to say. I'll keep updating about my writing as before. Until then, good night.

An early birthday gift!

For a long time, I've been wanting a good, first-edition hardcover copy of Madeleine L'Engle's A House Like A Lotus for the longest time. After about two years of waiting, I finally purchased one off of eBay.

And guess what arrived earlier today?



Happy birthday to me! :D

Pardon the quality, I used my new phone's camera. Though, now looking at it, the quality is actually pretty good.

And yes, that's yours truly behind the book. I must remain anonymous on the interwebs! *gleeful laugh*

Well, sort of.

Oh yes. It must be explained that this book is my favorite of all time. And I have big dreams of adapting this to the screen. If I can just figure out how to translate the narrative structure...

ETA: It is sad to note that it is no longer in print. But, given that a few of L'Engle's books are being re-released... maybe this one will see a re-release. I need another book to shove into teens' faces--I mean, recommend to teens. I gotta have something else other than just Paper Towns. And this too.

Book news to warm the cockles of a reader's heart

A recent interview with super-awesome author Haruki Murakami reveals the goods: his latest novel 1Q84 is getting translated to English!

But if the Wikipedia entry is correct, the waiting just may be until September 2011.

Look at it this way... there would be no doubt that many things would be different. As for me, I'll be 24, living in my own (preferably here, but the money gods hate my soul and I'll never live there unless I win the lottery).

Seriously, I'll quit with the linked puns.

The tl;dr take: writer I like has new novel being translated to English, there's a two-year waiting period for it, which prompted thought on what the world will be like at that point in time.

And that was a look into my mind... when it's random.

Yeah.