Books #13-23 for the year
In recent weeks I have completed the following books:
13: Kiss and Sell: The Making of a Supergroup, by Chris Lendt. Out of print, but I got it brought in by Interlibrary Loan. Y'all, this book is FASCINATING. I've read plenty of band biographies before, but they are usually written by a PR agent or a band member/ghost writer claiming to be a band member or so forth. Chris Lendt, on the other hand, was the wallet of KISS, eventually becoming KISS's business manager. He started as an account executive for their management firm, traveling with the band in order to keep an eye on the investment. What you get in this book is a behind-the-scenes look at the golden age of KISS and their fall from the peak of stardom. I mean, dude outlines what it takes to mount a tour! And the marketing! And all the crazy ideas! Two thumbs up.
14: Undecorate: The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design, by Christiane Lemiaux. This is a beautiful book, full of wonderful ideas for your funky home. It's also full of the word "inveterate". One couple are inveterate collectors. Another are inveterate hosts. A third woman is an inveterate traveler who loves to decorate her house with finds. I enjoyed the book but after I noticed the third instance, it was like playing word find.
15: High Voltage Tattoo, by Kat Von D. Ms. Von Drachenberg is not old enough to write a full-on memoir, so this book is primarily a narrated sketchbook, with a little tattooing history, life history, and the story of the launch of "L.A. Ink" on the side. Her drawings are exquisite, and she clearly has a natural talent. Lucky for everyone, it was published before she took up with Jesse James.
16: Rabbi Harvey vs. the Wisdom Kid: A Graphic Novel of Dueling Jewish Folktales in the Wild West, by Steve Sheinkin. Classic Jewish folktales, retold in an old-west setting by the way of a charmingly-illustrated graphic novel. Need to bone up on folksy Judaica? This is a good place to start.
17: Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. You all know this one is good, right? Sophie and I read it at bedtime, a chapter at a time. She is thoroughly loving the series by now, and I'm sure we will work our way through at least two or three more of the books before the year is out.
18: The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food and Love, by Kristin Kimball. A Manhattan journalist meets a handsome organic farmer, falls in love, and moves to the country to start a CSA farm. This book chronicles the trials, tribulations, and successes of their first year. So well written, and such a compelling read. Two more thumbs up.
19: Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide: Advice, Plans, and Programs for your 1st Marathon or 50th: All New Third Edition, by Hal Higdon. This one was good. Lotsa good advice.
20: A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines, by Anthony Bourdain (audiobook). Tony travels all over, eats everything, and talks about it. Fascinating to listen to, but I got it for use on the treadmill and it wasn't quite what I wanted to distract me while running in one place. This is more of a car-trip sort of audiobook.
21: True Prep: It's a Whole New Old World, by Lisa Birnbach with Chip Kidd. I was in 6th grade in 1980 when The Official Preppy Handbook was published. It was a fine example of light sarcasm and amused me to no end...my copy is tattered, torn and taped. It still amuses me; I reread it every few years just for the hell of it. This book, a follow-up more than a sequel, is cute enough, but it's way less amusing than the original. I don't think that's because I'm no longer 11 years old, I think it's because it's just less good. I mean, I'm not sorry I checked it out from the library...it definitely had laugh-out-loud moments, so I don't consider reading it time wasted...but I don't know if I will ever re-read it.
22: Fast Times At Ridgemont High: A True Story, by Cameron Crowe. OMG y'all, I had NO IDEA this was a book before it was a movie! But it was! Young freelance writer Cameron Crowe spent a year posing as a student at San Diego's Clairmont High School, making friends and taking notes. Then, he changed all the identifying information and published a book in 1981, which was promptly co-opted and turned into the 1982 film we all know and love. The book is long out of print, but Interlibrary Loan will bring it to your hands.
23: Run Your First Marathon: Everything You Need to Know to Reach the FINISH LINE, by Grete Waits and Gloria Averbuch. All these running books are starting to sound alike to me. This one has a 12-week plan, which might be enough for some runners but is sure not long enough to get ME to the finish line. At least, not under my own power. Overall, though, the tone of the book is warm and encouraging, and attention is paid to recovery after the marathon, a detail which many other authors overlook.
13: Kiss and Sell: The Making of a Supergroup, by Chris Lendt. Out of print, but I got it brought in by Interlibrary Loan. Y'all, this book is FASCINATING. I've read plenty of band biographies before, but they are usually written by a PR agent or a band member/ghost writer claiming to be a band member or so forth. Chris Lendt, on the other hand, was the wallet of KISS, eventually becoming KISS's business manager. He started as an account executive for their management firm, traveling with the band in order to keep an eye on the investment. What you get in this book is a behind-the-scenes look at the golden age of KISS and their fall from the peak of stardom. I mean, dude outlines what it takes to mount a tour! And the marketing! And all the crazy ideas! Two thumbs up.
14: Undecorate: The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design, by Christiane Lemiaux. This is a beautiful book, full of wonderful ideas for your funky home. It's also full of the word "inveterate". One couple are inveterate collectors. Another are inveterate hosts. A third woman is an inveterate traveler who loves to decorate her house with finds. I enjoyed the book but after I noticed the third instance, it was like playing word find.
15: High Voltage Tattoo, by Kat Von D. Ms. Von Drachenberg is not old enough to write a full-on memoir, so this book is primarily a narrated sketchbook, with a little tattooing history, life history, and the story of the launch of "L.A. Ink" on the side. Her drawings are exquisite, and she clearly has a natural talent. Lucky for everyone, it was published before she took up with Jesse James.
16: Rabbi Harvey vs. the Wisdom Kid: A Graphic Novel of Dueling Jewish Folktales in the Wild West, by Steve Sheinkin. Classic Jewish folktales, retold in an old-west setting by the way of a charmingly-illustrated graphic novel. Need to bone up on folksy Judaica? This is a good place to start.
17: Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. You all know this one is good, right? Sophie and I read it at bedtime, a chapter at a time. She is thoroughly loving the series by now, and I'm sure we will work our way through at least two or three more of the books before the year is out.
18: The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food and Love, by Kristin Kimball. A Manhattan journalist meets a handsome organic farmer, falls in love, and moves to the country to start a CSA farm. This book chronicles the trials, tribulations, and successes of their first year. So well written, and such a compelling read. Two more thumbs up.
19: Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide: Advice, Plans, and Programs for your 1st Marathon or 50th: All New Third Edition, by Hal Higdon. This one was good. Lotsa good advice.
20: A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines, by Anthony Bourdain (audiobook). Tony travels all over, eats everything, and talks about it. Fascinating to listen to, but I got it for use on the treadmill and it wasn't quite what I wanted to distract me while running in one place. This is more of a car-trip sort of audiobook.
21: True Prep: It's a Whole New Old World, by Lisa Birnbach with Chip Kidd. I was in 6th grade in 1980 when The Official Preppy Handbook was published. It was a fine example of light sarcasm and amused me to no end...my copy is tattered, torn and taped. It still amuses me; I reread it every few years just for the hell of it. This book, a follow-up more than a sequel, is cute enough, but it's way less amusing than the original. I don't think that's because I'm no longer 11 years old, I think it's because it's just less good. I mean, I'm not sorry I checked it out from the library...it definitely had laugh-out-loud moments, so I don't consider reading it time wasted...but I don't know if I will ever re-read it.
22: Fast Times At Ridgemont High: A True Story, by Cameron Crowe. OMG y'all, I had NO IDEA this was a book before it was a movie! But it was! Young freelance writer Cameron Crowe spent a year posing as a student at San Diego's Clairmont High School, making friends and taking notes. Then, he changed all the identifying information and published a book in 1981, which was promptly co-opted and turned into the 1982 film we all know and love. The book is long out of print, but Interlibrary Loan will bring it to your hands.
23: Run Your First Marathon: Everything You Need to Know to Reach the FINISH LINE, by Grete Waits and Gloria Averbuch. All these running books are starting to sound alike to me. This one has a 12-week plan, which might be enough for some runners but is sure not long enough to get ME to the finish line. At least, not under my own power. Overall, though, the tone of the book is warm and encouraging, and attention is paid to recovery after the marathon, a detail which many other authors overlook.