Books
I decided that I would keep track of the movies I watched and the books I read about 2 years ago. Listing the movies on here would be impossible, as I've seen almost 1200 movies since I started keeping track, but I've only read 70+ books since I started keeping track. 77 doesn't seem like a lot, does it? I'm not doing it to as a competition because who the fuck cares? And I'm not trying in earnest to complete a task, like I am with the movie watching. (I've been trying to watch all of the films on the NY Times top 1000 list for about 5 years. Only 340ish to go.) I guess I just like keeping track.
So I decided to list them on here for two three reasons:
1) I read some interesting shit.
2) A lot of what I'm thinking about stems from reading books. So writing about the books gives me a chance to flesh out some of my thoughts.
3) In between watching movies (some of which I do or do not actually want to watch, see: Victor/Victoria), sleeping, looking for jobs, working with my trainer, and cooking dinner for my parents, there isn't a whole lot to do. I'm not not saying my life is shitty; for the most part, I'm fairly content, but I could be much content-er.
So here goes.
January Books (and Graphic Novels)
Books
Grace After Midnight by Felicia "Snoop" Pearson: Snoop Pearson is an actress who plays a character of the same name on HBO's best-show-ever The Wire. Snoop is plays one of Marlo Stanfield's (big time drug dealer/antagonist) top lieutenants. She works mostly in the "disposal" business, by which I mean she gets dudes who need to get got. On the show, she's definitely the baddest bitch on the block. The opening scene of season 4 features Snoop buying a nail gun from a very white hardware salesman. It's one of the best scenes in the show. Now while she is a fabulous part of the show (partly because she's not playing a character far from how she was before she started acting), she's not the best writer. Her story is interesting enough to make it worth reading. Especially if you love Baltimore...and how anybody not? The notable parts of the memoir are the insights on being a drug dealer, how Jessup prison "works" and what it's like being a lesbian in what seems like a very homophobic culture.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakaur: Most everyone knows what this book is about on a very superficial level because of the movie adaptation. It's about a 20-something named Chris McCandless who goes "into the wild" of Alaska, unprepared, and dies of starvation. As I started reading the book thinking the same thing most reasonable adults think: this kid was a moron to go into the wilderness unprepared. But then, as I continued reading, I realised how much McCandless' life in the wilderness and my life are alike. Both of us live a solitary life, peppered spontaneously with human interaction. The big difference between the two of us is that I don't have the desire to go on an Alaskan adventure to see if I can live off the land and my wits. Or do I? I have the desire to get a job, move on from my comfortable (complacent) life and live my dream. I guess his dream was just much more hazardous to his life. My life, my adventure are less prodigious, but it is a life and an adventure all the same. When I began reading the book, I couldn't help but think two things: that McCandless had a death wish and that he got what was coming to him. I realised, though, how short-sighted I was to think that he had a death wish. He didn't What he learned (and by virtue of being the reader, what I learned) by the end of his life was a lesson so innocent and simple, but equally profound, that it overshadows his extreme hubris. I realised also how callous it was to think that death was something less tragic when it is thrust on someone by their own actions. It was a wonderful read on a literary and personal level.
Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky: This one was written in the 40s and is...very French. Kind of like Madame Bovary is French. The plot isn't very interesting, but the prose Nemirovsky uses is gorgeous. A man returns to the French village he grew up in and only seems to go to a couple of parties, visit people from his past and go to the local bistro to drink and eat cheese. By the end, though, a story of murder (most unfoul) and mistaken identity. I'd complain about the plot not being as well thought out or even as I could have been, but I'm cutting Nemirovsky a whole lot of slack because she was seconds away from getting transported to Auschwitz, where she later died of typhus. So it's pretty remarkable for someone to be able to write so beautifully when death is knocking at your door. I'm anxious to read the more critically acclaimed Suite francaise, which was also published recently for the first time.
The Dead Travel Fast by Eric Nuzun: This was one of my favorite reads of this month. It's a book about vampires written in the same way Chuck Klosterman might write about...Great White or Bad Company. It examines how popular vampires are in out culture and more importantly, why they are so popular. It's funny, it's smart and it has vampires.
The 70 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time by Some Paranoid Dudes: This book would have been more interesting if it wasn't for all the silly conspiracies.
Zoology by Ben Dolnick: Here's another book about a twenty-something who doesn't really know where he's going with his life. A failed music major, who lives in Montgomery County, moves to New York to work at the Central Park Zoo. He meets a girl and falls in love with her. It's kind of the opposite of Into the Wild: this time, instead of finding out that true happiness is best shared, the protagonist learns that true happiness can only be found within one's self. I think I align myself more in the Zoology camp, which is why, maybe, I don't want to go to Alaska and live on my wits and off of the land. It may also be why I am profoundly gloomy sometimes. Maybe I should move to Manhattan, work at a zoo and befriend a goat.
The Diving Bell and The Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Dauby: I read a lot of books that are made into movies. I love movies; I love books. Makes sense, yes? This book is fantastic and uplifting, but not in the sugary Mitch Albom way. Don't get me wrong...I like Mitch Albom, but this treatise on overcoming tremendous setbacks feels a lot more authentic. A lot more...germane to real life. Jean-Dominique Dauby suffered a stroke and was afflicted with locked-in syndrome, where you can't move. This, however, is also a fine example of God's twisted sense of humor (see: Treacher-Collins Syndrome where a kid is born profoundly deformed, but has the brain function of conventional kids) where the body feels everything and the mind works just fine. Jean-Dominique quickly tells the reader that he feels like he is trapped under a diving bell, but his mind flourishes still. This is another book about a guy who is isolated from the world, even when there are people around him all the time. I think there's a pattern in the books I'm reading.
A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans: I don't usually stay up all night to read a book in one sitting, especially when I have an appointment with my personal trainer the next day. But last night was one such night. I checked this book out at the library because the cover was pretty. It's about a new father who mysteriously cannot hold his infant son. He's afraid to. the reasons why are revealed as if the main character is writing journals about his own childhood for his psychiatrist. It is revealed that George (the main character) was somewhat of a mystic and saw some very disturbing things as a child. It's kind of like The Exorcist, but not as overtly frightening. Just mentioning The Exorcist makes me tense up and become hyper-vigilant, turning in the direction of every noise, whether the rain pitter-pattering on the window or just the house settling. So maybe I stayed up all night reading this book because I was afraid to go to sleep. It is genuinely engaging, except in parts where it gets a little hokie. It's not as scary as it is really fucking creepy.
Graphic Novels
The Living and the Dead by Jason: This is a cute love story, set in the past and prominently involving zombies. There is no text, so it's a very quick read, but it's hilarious.
Young Avengers: Sidekicks
Young Avengers: Family Matters: I don't love anything much more than the Marvel universe. The Young Avengers are no different. Hulkling, hopefully, will have a long history as one of the more powerful Marvel heroes. I won't give anything away for those of you who actually want to read these books, but Hulkling has the potential to be so badass.
Marvel Civil War: X-Men
The Eternals by Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr: I always thought the Eternals were lame until reading this. Now I only think they're kind of lame.
The House of M: Basically...the Scarlet Witch has the ability to change reality. This means she's really REALLY powerful. So...she "gives birth" to her twins (who come up later in Young Avengers), but it's another reality where she and The Vision were able to have kids. The Vision is an android you see...Oh the hell with it. Scarlett Witch goes bat shit crazy, creates a world where everybody gets what they want (except regular humans) and eventually, in a fit of mad rage, changes reality so that mutants don't exist. Of course, since Scarlet Witch is a mutant, shit hits the fan. Great book.
So that's it. That's what I read in January.
Go Giants.
So I decided to list them on here for two three reasons:
1) I read some interesting shit.
2) A lot of what I'm thinking about stems from reading books. So writing about the books gives me a chance to flesh out some of my thoughts.
3) In between watching movies (some of which I do or do not actually want to watch, see: Victor/Victoria), sleeping, looking for jobs, working with my trainer, and cooking dinner for my parents, there isn't a whole lot to do. I'm not not saying my life is shitty; for the most part, I'm fairly content, but I could be much content-er.
So here goes.
January Books (and Graphic Novels)
Books
Grace After Midnight by Felicia "Snoop" Pearson: Snoop Pearson is an actress who plays a character of the same name on HBO's best-show-ever The Wire. Snoop is plays one of Marlo Stanfield's (big time drug dealer/antagonist) top lieutenants. She works mostly in the "disposal" business, by which I mean she gets dudes who need to get got. On the show, she's definitely the baddest bitch on the block. The opening scene of season 4 features Snoop buying a nail gun from a very white hardware salesman. It's one of the best scenes in the show. Now while she is a fabulous part of the show (partly because she's not playing a character far from how she was before she started acting), she's not the best writer. Her story is interesting enough to make it worth reading. Especially if you love Baltimore...and how anybody not? The notable parts of the memoir are the insights on being a drug dealer, how Jessup prison "works" and what it's like being a lesbian in what seems like a very homophobic culture.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakaur: Most everyone knows what this book is about on a very superficial level because of the movie adaptation. It's about a 20-something named Chris McCandless who goes "into the wild" of Alaska, unprepared, and dies of starvation. As I started reading the book thinking the same thing most reasonable adults think: this kid was a moron to go into the wilderness unprepared. But then, as I continued reading, I realised how much McCandless' life in the wilderness and my life are alike. Both of us live a solitary life, peppered spontaneously with human interaction. The big difference between the two of us is that I don't have the desire to go on an Alaskan adventure to see if I can live off the land and my wits. Or do I? I have the desire to get a job, move on from my comfortable (complacent) life and live my dream. I guess his dream was just much more hazardous to his life. My life, my adventure are less prodigious, but it is a life and an adventure all the same. When I began reading the book, I couldn't help but think two things: that McCandless had a death wish and that he got what was coming to him. I realised, though, how short-sighted I was to think that he had a death wish. He didn't What he learned (and by virtue of being the reader, what I learned) by the end of his life was a lesson so innocent and simple, but equally profound, that it overshadows his extreme hubris. I realised also how callous it was to think that death was something less tragic when it is thrust on someone by their own actions. It was a wonderful read on a literary and personal level.
Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky: This one was written in the 40s and is...very French. Kind of like Madame Bovary is French. The plot isn't very interesting, but the prose Nemirovsky uses is gorgeous. A man returns to the French village he grew up in and only seems to go to a couple of parties, visit people from his past and go to the local bistro to drink and eat cheese. By the end, though, a story of murder (most unfoul) and mistaken identity. I'd complain about the plot not being as well thought out or even as I could have been, but I'm cutting Nemirovsky a whole lot of slack because she was seconds away from getting transported to Auschwitz, where she later died of typhus. So it's pretty remarkable for someone to be able to write so beautifully when death is knocking at your door. I'm anxious to read the more critically acclaimed Suite francaise, which was also published recently for the first time.
The Dead Travel Fast by Eric Nuzun: This was one of my favorite reads of this month. It's a book about vampires written in the same way Chuck Klosterman might write about...Great White or Bad Company. It examines how popular vampires are in out culture and more importantly, why they are so popular. It's funny, it's smart and it has vampires.
The 70 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time by Some Paranoid Dudes: This book would have been more interesting if it wasn't for all the silly conspiracies.
Zoology by Ben Dolnick: Here's another book about a twenty-something who doesn't really know where he's going with his life. A failed music major, who lives in Montgomery County, moves to New York to work at the Central Park Zoo. He meets a girl and falls in love with her. It's kind of the opposite of Into the Wild: this time, instead of finding out that true happiness is best shared, the protagonist learns that true happiness can only be found within one's self. I think I align myself more in the Zoology camp, which is why, maybe, I don't want to go to Alaska and live on my wits and off of the land. It may also be why I am profoundly gloomy sometimes. Maybe I should move to Manhattan, work at a zoo and befriend a goat.
The Diving Bell and The Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Dauby: I read a lot of books that are made into movies. I love movies; I love books. Makes sense, yes? This book is fantastic and uplifting, but not in the sugary Mitch Albom way. Don't get me wrong...I like Mitch Albom, but this treatise on overcoming tremendous setbacks feels a lot more authentic. A lot more...germane to real life. Jean-Dominique Dauby suffered a stroke and was afflicted with locked-in syndrome, where you can't move. This, however, is also a fine example of God's twisted sense of humor (see: Treacher-Collins Syndrome where a kid is born profoundly deformed, but has the brain function of conventional kids) where the body feels everything and the mind works just fine. Jean-Dominique quickly tells the reader that he feels like he is trapped under a diving bell, but his mind flourishes still. This is another book about a guy who is isolated from the world, even when there are people around him all the time. I think there's a pattern in the books I'm reading.
A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans: I don't usually stay up all night to read a book in one sitting, especially when I have an appointment with my personal trainer the next day. But last night was one such night. I checked this book out at the library because the cover was pretty. It's about a new father who mysteriously cannot hold his infant son. He's afraid to. the reasons why are revealed as if the main character is writing journals about his own childhood for his psychiatrist. It is revealed that George (the main character) was somewhat of a mystic and saw some very disturbing things as a child. It's kind of like The Exorcist, but not as overtly frightening. Just mentioning The Exorcist makes me tense up and become hyper-vigilant, turning in the direction of every noise, whether the rain pitter-pattering on the window or just the house settling. So maybe I stayed up all night reading this book because I was afraid to go to sleep. It is genuinely engaging, except in parts where it gets a little hokie. It's not as scary as it is really fucking creepy.
Graphic Novels
The Living and the Dead by Jason: This is a cute love story, set in the past and prominently involving zombies. There is no text, so it's a very quick read, but it's hilarious.
Young Avengers: Sidekicks
Young Avengers: Family Matters: I don't love anything much more than the Marvel universe. The Young Avengers are no different. Hulkling, hopefully, will have a long history as one of the more powerful Marvel heroes. I won't give anything away for those of you who actually want to read these books, but Hulkling has the potential to be so badass.
Marvel Civil War: X-Men
The Eternals by Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr: I always thought the Eternals were lame until reading this. Now I only think they're kind of lame.
The House of M: Basically...the Scarlet Witch has the ability to change reality. This means she's really REALLY powerful. So...she "gives birth" to her twins (who come up later in Young Avengers), but it's another reality where she and The Vision were able to have kids. The Vision is an android you see...Oh the hell with it. Scarlett Witch goes bat shit crazy, creates a world where everybody gets what they want (except regular humans) and eventually, in a fit of mad rage, changes reality so that mutants don't exist. Of course, since Scarlet Witch is a mutant, shit hits the fan. Great book.
So that's it. That's what I read in January.
Go Giants.