Richard Powers' The Echo Maker
This has been getting a lot of good reviews and critical acclaim, I guess, so I finally sat down and read it. The basic premise is that a young Nebraskan dude gets into a serious car accident, after which he believes that his sister is an imposter. A famous neurologist comes to examine him, and lots of examination of the self ensues. I mean, mostly this book worked for me--I really found the relationship between the brother and sister to be extremely compelling--but I really didn't like or care about the doctor's parts of things (his sections are pretty unbearable; who wants to read about a neurologist waxing on about the self, and his failing career, and his stupid middle-aged temptations, all from a totally self-aware doctor point of view? Besides Powers, I mean) or the parts that meditated poetically on birds. As a side note, I thought there were some echoes of Yehoshua' The Lover in the thought processes of the comatose brother as he awakens, but that could be entirely coincidental.
Verdict: a pretty good book, if you skim the self-indulgent doctor's whining.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
shameful confession time
I was flipping through the channels last night and landed on VH1, which was doing a new 80s song countdown show (as opposed to all of the other 80s-related programming they've done) (that wasn't the shameful confession) and the song they were discussing was Prince's Little Red Corvette.
Do you know, in my entire life, I had NO idea what that song was? I could NEVER figure out what the chorus was saying, and I spent a lot of time trying to decipher it. Also I didn't know that it was a Prince song. (Somehow I missed the Prince portion of my music education.) Shameful, isn't it!
Happy Halloween everyone!! I may post blurry cameraphone pictures of my costume later. I'm going as a Freudian slip (tm Stef).
Do you know, in my entire life, I had NO idea what that song was? I could NEVER figure out what the chorus was saying, and I spent a lot of time trying to decipher it. Also I didn't know that it was a Prince song. (Somehow I missed the Prince portion of my music education.) Shameful, isn't it!
Happy Halloween everyone!! I may post blurry cameraphone pictures of my costume later. I'm going as a Freudian slip (tm Stef).
Monday, October 30, 2006
breaking book news!!!
Danielle Steel has a fragrance!
Get it for the woman in your life who embodies the essence of Danielle Steel! "The woman who is confident, optimistic, and lives an active life full of new experiences and loving relationships"!
("Active life" really makes it sound like a bran cereal or an adult diaper, doesn't it.)
Get it for the woman in your life who embodies the essence of Danielle Steel! "The woman who is confident, optimistic, and lives an active life full of new experiences and loving relationships"!
("Active life" really makes it sound like a bran cereal or an adult diaper, doesn't it.)
Sunday, October 29, 2006
2006 book 122
Ellen Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword
Kelly Link wrote a blurb for this book, so I figured it was worth looking into. And it was a diverting Sunday afternoon sort of read, revolving around a young girl (in some fantasy land and time) whose eccentric and rich Duke of an uncle sends for her to make her into a swordsmen. Drama ensues, there's lots of hedonism and defending of honor, and of course the expected ending which ties up pretty much all loose ends. I'm going to stick with mildly diverting and entertaining as my sum-up.
PS. I forgot to say that we also saw alligators yesterday! There wasn't any horror-movie-style carnage, but seriously, they were just hangin' out in the wildlife refugse, right by some walking paths. Scary!!!
Kelly Link wrote a blurb for this book, so I figured it was worth looking into. And it was a diverting Sunday afternoon sort of read, revolving around a young girl (in some fantasy land and time) whose eccentric and rich Duke of an uncle sends for her to make her into a swordsmen. Drama ensues, there's lots of hedonism and defending of honor, and of course the expected ending which ties up pretty much all loose ends. I'm going to stick with mildly diverting and entertaining as my sum-up.
PS. I forgot to say that we also saw alligators yesterday! There wasn't any horror-movie-style carnage, but seriously, they were just hangin' out in the wildlife refugse, right by some walking paths. Scary!!!
Saturday, October 28, 2006
2006 book 121
Keith Donahue's The Stolen Child
I think Amazon was pimping this book a couple months ago, and deservedly so. Also, it's great Halloweentime reading, as its plot is more than a little creepy. It revolves around a little boy, Henry, who runs away from home only to be replaced by a changeling. The two Henrys' stories are told in alternating chapters as each tries to puzzle out his identity. Adding to the creepy factor, for me, was realizing that the story takes place in Pittsburgh. It made me feel like wild little fairy children were spying on us when we were kids, plotting to steal our lives.
In other news, I hit St. Mark's Wildlife Refuge today for the Butterfly Festival, which was nice and all, but really impressive was walking on the gulf coast over by the lighthouse--we saw thousands of migrating monarchs, little crabs, big crabs, huge horseshoe crabs, and lots of beautiful birds. The only thing putting a damper on the day was that my camera battery was dead, and I missed a lot of amazing nature photo ops. Maybe next time . . .
I think Amazon was pimping this book a couple months ago, and deservedly so. Also, it's great Halloweentime reading, as its plot is more than a little creepy. It revolves around a little boy, Henry, who runs away from home only to be replaced by a changeling. The two Henrys' stories are told in alternating chapters as each tries to puzzle out his identity. Adding to the creepy factor, for me, was realizing that the story takes place in Pittsburgh. It made me feel like wild little fairy children were spying on us when we were kids, plotting to steal our lives.
In other news, I hit St. Mark's Wildlife Refuge today for the Butterfly Festival, which was nice and all, but really impressive was walking on the gulf coast over by the lighthouse--we saw thousands of migrating monarchs, little crabs, big crabs, huge horseshoe crabs, and lots of beautiful birds. The only thing putting a damper on the day was that my camera battery was dead, and I missed a lot of amazing nature photo ops. Maybe next time . . .
Friday, October 27, 2006
2006 book 120
Kate Atkinson's One Good Turn
This is a sequel to Case Histories, which I read a couple years ago and vaguely recall being a literary-fiction-meets-mystery sort of affair, with lots of likable characters and different storylines that gradually interwove. This is more of the same, as retired cop/private eye Jackson Brodie travels to Edinburgh (along with thousands of other people) for some sort of theatre festival. Murder and mayhem ensue along the way, as Brodie and the reader try and fit everything together (it's clear to the reader pretty quickly that these things are laced together). Still, it resolves nicely, and again Atkinson's characters are likeable and interesting. A pretty entertaining read, for sure.
This is a sequel to Case Histories, which I read a couple years ago and vaguely recall being a literary-fiction-meets-mystery sort of affair, with lots of likable characters and different storylines that gradually interwove. This is more of the same, as retired cop/private eye Jackson Brodie travels to Edinburgh (along with thousands of other people) for some sort of theatre festival. Murder and mayhem ensue along the way, as Brodie and the reader try and fit everything together (it's clear to the reader pretty quickly that these things are laced together). Still, it resolves nicely, and again Atkinson's characters are likeable and interesting. A pretty entertaining read, for sure.
more librarian stereotyping
OK, now I'm mad at Nick from season 2 of Project Runway. Scroll down through this to see why.
I mean, sure, most librarians don't dress like the extremely skanky women on Flavor of Love, but to suggest that we're all covered up and prim and proper is just totally inaccurate. Plenty of librarians show a little skin, even at work.
What's with all the stereotyping lately??? That stupid Garrison Keillor thing, the Questionable Content shirt, the really old-school non-computerized library on Veronica Mars . . . and now even fashion dudes are doing it!
Guess what! Not all librarians have glasses or buns or prudish clothing! Most of us have cute clothes and like technology! This is NOT a new thing, so I don't know why society can't just get used to it already.
I mean, sure, most librarians don't dress like the extremely skanky women on Flavor of Love, but to suggest that we're all covered up and prim and proper is just totally inaccurate. Plenty of librarians show a little skin, even at work.
What's with all the stereotyping lately??? That stupid Garrison Keillor thing, the Questionable Content shirt, the really old-school non-computerized library on Veronica Mars . . . and now even fashion dudes are doing it!
Guess what! Not all librarians have glasses or buns or prudish clothing! Most of us have cute clothes and like technology! This is NOT a new thing, so I don't know why society can't just get used to it already.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
2006 book 119
Marie Arana's Cellophane
OK, seriously, where did I read a good review of this? Because I really need to stop visiting whatever site keeps recommending such terrible books. I mean, this isn't TERRIBLE, exactly. I think Arana was going for a magical realism Garcia Marquez sort of thing, as the members of a wealthy paper-milling family in Peru suddenly find themslves unable to hide their secrets anymore, but ended up with a Laura Esquivel Like Water for Chocolate everyone-falling-in-love-at-the-drop-of-a-hat thing.
The adjective that best describes this book: FLORID.
Actually, I can totally see this book being fairly popular, and I can understand why there was a long wait for it at the library. It's just really not my thing. The floridity, you know.
OK, seriously, where did I read a good review of this? Because I really need to stop visiting whatever site keeps recommending such terrible books. I mean, this isn't TERRIBLE, exactly. I think Arana was going for a magical realism Garcia Marquez sort of thing, as the members of a wealthy paper-milling family in Peru suddenly find themslves unable to hide their secrets anymore, but ended up with a Laura Esquivel Like Water for Chocolate everyone-falling-in-love-at-the-drop-of-a-hat thing.
The adjective that best describes this book: FLORID.
Actually, I can totally see this book being fairly popular, and I can understand why there was a long wait for it at the library. It's just really not my thing. The floridity, you know.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Sunday, October 22, 2006
2006 book 118
D'aulaire's Book of Norse Myths
Had I known this book existed, I'd probably have sought it out much earlierin my life, because the D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths is one of my favorite books from childhood. We had it in school, and I was enchanted with the elegant drawings and the stories--so when I came down with pneumonia, my mom got it for me as a get-well present, and I've loved it ever since. The Norse myths were recently reissued by the New York Review of Books--with an introduction by Michael Chabon, no less--so they're back on the radar. Anyway, it's a very pretty book with all sorts of fascinating North mythology--a real treat for those of us who've gleaned most of our knowledge in this area from Neil Gaiman. There's the usual vague historical sexism--the female goddesses here aren't anywhere near as fleshed out as in the Greek stories, and I'm not sure if that's due to the original Norse tales or not. At any rate, all books by the D'aulaires are classics, and this makes a valuable addition to any word nerd's bookshelves.
Had I known this book existed, I'd probably have sought it out much earlierin my life, because the D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths is one of my favorite books from childhood. We had it in school, and I was enchanted with the elegant drawings and the stories--so when I came down with pneumonia, my mom got it for me as a get-well present, and I've loved it ever since. The Norse myths were recently reissued by the New York Review of Books--with an introduction by Michael Chabon, no less--so they're back on the radar. Anyway, it's a very pretty book with all sorts of fascinating North mythology--a real treat for those of us who've gleaned most of our knowledge in this area from Neil Gaiman. There's the usual vague historical sexism--the female goddesses here aren't anywhere near as fleshed out as in the Greek stories, and I'm not sure if that's due to the original Norse tales or not. At any rate, all books by the D'aulaires are classics, and this makes a valuable addition to any word nerd's bookshelves.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
marie antoinette
So a friend and I went to see Marie Antoinette today, and I quite liked it! Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman were both great, it was gorgeous, and of course I loved the soundtrack--along with New Order and Air, I was thrilled to hear songs from one of my all-time favorite albums, Radio Dept.'s Lesser Matters. Now I love Sofia Coppola even more!
Of course, I did think the ending was a little abrupt--my friend had read that it doesn't go all the way to the guillotine, so she was prepared for the symbolic, non-violent ending, but suddenly I understood why the French booed it. Of course there IS a symbolic ending, but still.
Also, there were no pink converse in sight, for the record. Lots of yummy-looking cakes thoguh! Don't go in hungry.
Of course, I did think the ending was a little abrupt--my friend had read that it doesn't go all the way to the guillotine, so she was prepared for the symbolic, non-violent ending, but suddenly I understood why the French booed it. Of course there IS a symbolic ending, but still.
Also, there were no pink converse in sight, for the record. Lots of yummy-looking cakes thoguh! Don't go in hungry.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
new magazine
I am very intrigued by a few of the articles in the first issue of this magazine--I think I'm going to try and hunt it down after work!
Speaking of the 80s (and God bless the fug blog): I totally would watch a show like that. Maybe Oxygen could pick it up. :)
I meant to post this last night, but it got lost in the ether (i.e., the kitten stepped on my keyboard and the link was gone. he also deleted several of my itunes playlists with a single step last night): Here's the list of 1001 books to read before you die (from the book of the same title). I counted up to 94 I'd read before my eyes glazed over. Interestingly, many authors I don't like are on there, which really brought my numbers down.
Speaking of the 80s (and God bless the fug blog): I totally would watch a show like that. Maybe Oxygen could pick it up. :)
I meant to post this last night, but it got lost in the ether (i.e., the kitten stepped on my keyboard and the link was gone. he also deleted several of my itunes playlists with a single step last night): Here's the list of 1001 books to read before you die (from the book of the same title). I counted up to 94 I'd read before my eyes glazed over. Interestingly, many authors I don't like are on there, which really brought my numbers down.
revivalism
I have to say, I find myself troubled by the recent spate of 80s revivalism I've been seeing around campus. The leggings trend was bad enough--after all, I'm old enough to remember when leggings were popular the first time, and spent much of my childhood in those lace-edged horrors. Are stirrup pants next? (God forbid!!)
But really, leggings are mild compared to some of the fashion choices I witnessed at the Girl Talk/Man Man show this past weekend. Let's all take a moment to reflect on just how horrifying the 80s were, fashion-wise. I mean, VH-1 has made itself millions hiring C- and D-list celebs to make fun of what we all were wearing back then! Because it was UGLY!!
So imagine my shock and dismay to see all those horrible 80s trends crammed into one club. I saw scrunchy stilleto boots. I saw neon. I saw weird Flock of Seagulls hair. I saw that horrible ratty punk-style bird-nest hair. I saw dudes in vests (one of those had a moleskine notebook in his back pocket--OH MY GOD, how trite can you get??). I saw basically every ugly 80s look you can imagine (and my mocking bitchery achieved new heights that night, let me tell you).
But the WORST! The absolute WORST thing!
I saw MULLETS.
Mullets that weren't on the sort of people who maybe don't know that mullets haven't been fashionable in 20 years. They weren't on people who didn't realize how unflattering they are.
They had obviously been DELIBERATELY GROWN. People had grown mullets in a misguided attempt to be COOL. Now COME ON!!! I know there's always a lot of hipper-than-thou in indie music scenes, especially in college towns. But I saw five people who had deliberately grown mullets in order to look cool. That is taking the 80s revival thing waaaaaay too far.
One of the mullet-bearers even had a weird 80s porn mustache! I remember when the 'stache thing hit Chapel Hill a couple years ago--those dudes were so proud of how stupid they looked. So I guess the mullet thing is an extension of that. But come on!!!! Mullets?????
I spent more time freaking out about the teens in 80s-wear than I did paying attention to the show--that's how bad it was. The clothes, not the show, which was actually pretty awesome.
If mullets are back, does that mean big hair and bangs will be following soon? (Ugly Betty as inspiration for that new fall look?) Better stock up on the hairspray!! I sense the forefront of the next trend!
But really, leggings are mild compared to some of the fashion choices I witnessed at the Girl Talk/Man Man show this past weekend. Let's all take a moment to reflect on just how horrifying the 80s were, fashion-wise. I mean, VH-1 has made itself millions hiring C- and D-list celebs to make fun of what we all were wearing back then! Because it was UGLY!!
So imagine my shock and dismay to see all those horrible 80s trends crammed into one club. I saw scrunchy stilleto boots. I saw neon. I saw weird Flock of Seagulls hair. I saw that horrible ratty punk-style bird-nest hair. I saw dudes in vests (one of those had a moleskine notebook in his back pocket--OH MY GOD, how trite can you get??). I saw basically every ugly 80s look you can imagine (and my mocking bitchery achieved new heights that night, let me tell you).
But the WORST! The absolute WORST thing!
I saw MULLETS.
Mullets that weren't on the sort of people who maybe don't know that mullets haven't been fashionable in 20 years. They weren't on people who didn't realize how unflattering they are.
They had obviously been DELIBERATELY GROWN. People had grown mullets in a misguided attempt to be COOL. Now COME ON!!! I know there's always a lot of hipper-than-thou in indie music scenes, especially in college towns. But I saw five people who had deliberately grown mullets in order to look cool. That is taking the 80s revival thing waaaaaay too far.
One of the mullet-bearers even had a weird 80s porn mustache! I remember when the 'stache thing hit Chapel Hill a couple years ago--those dudes were so proud of how stupid they looked. So I guess the mullet thing is an extension of that. But come on!!!! Mullets?????
I spent more time freaking out about the teens in 80s-wear than I did paying attention to the show--that's how bad it was. The clothes, not the show, which was actually pretty awesome.
If mullets are back, does that mean big hair and bangs will be following soon? (Ugly Betty as inspiration for that new fall look?) Better stock up on the hairspray!! I sense the forefront of the next trend!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
fall mix cd
I decided to kill that hour between ANTM and Project Runway by finally finishing that mix cd I've been working on. It's a little disjointed, since I haven't bought very many new cds recently and getting the songs into an order that worked ok was trickier than usual. Also I did put some guilty pleasures on and I refuse to be judged!!
Track listing:
1. Portastatic--I'm in love (with Arthur Dove)
2. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Rewhipped--Green Peppers
3. Essence--Fever
4. Girl Talk--Bounce That
5. Maximum Joy--Simmer till done
6. Savath and Savalas--Decatur Queen
7. The Fray--How to Save a Life
8. [track from an unreleased album]
9. Asobi Seksu--Thursday
10. Scritti Politti--After Six
11. Gothic Archies--The World is a Very Scary Place
12. Eric Bachmann--Carrboro Woman
13. Richard Buckner--Lucky
14. Velvet Teen--Gyznkid [terrible title, good song]
15. [another secret unreleased track]
16. Long Winters--Clouds
17. Salteens--Look up! Look out!
18. Acid House Kings--Wipe away those tears
19. Bettye Swann--Cover Me
20. Lambchop--Crackers
Track listing:
1. Portastatic--I'm in love (with Arthur Dove)
2. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Rewhipped--Green Peppers
3. Essence--Fever
4. Girl Talk--Bounce That
5. Maximum Joy--Simmer till done
6. Savath and Savalas--Decatur Queen
7. The Fray--How to Save a Life
8. [track from an unreleased album]
9. Asobi Seksu--Thursday
10. Scritti Politti--After Six
11. Gothic Archies--The World is a Very Scary Place
12. Eric Bachmann--Carrboro Woman
13. Richard Buckner--Lucky
14. Velvet Teen--Gyznkid [terrible title, good song]
15. [another secret unreleased track]
16. Long Winters--Clouds
17. Salteens--Look up! Look out!
18. Acid House Kings--Wipe away those tears
19. Bettye Swann--Cover Me
20. Lambchop--Crackers
2006 book 117
Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies
Had to re-read this classic b/c it's the first selection for our library reading group! It was as good as I remembered.
Had to re-read this classic b/c it's the first selection for our library reading group! It was as good as I remembered.
Monday, October 16, 2006
2006 book 116
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun
This book took me a while to read, but don't take that to mean I wasn't into it, b/c I was! But it was a little intense for beach reading--it takes place in Nigeria in the late 1960s, during the civil war. The story primarily focuses on a pair of wealthy, educated twins and their respective lovers--a revolutionary professor and a British writer--as well as a young village boy who becomes the houseboy of the professor. Their respective experiences during the war highlight the ravages of the period from nearly every angle--I actually wish this book would garner more critical attention, because I guarantee most Americans don't know this war ever took place, and have no idea of the impact it had (I didn't know much about it until I read this--it inspired some research. Librarian Power!). Anyway, this was a really well-written and moving story, and I'd highly recommend it.
P.S. I think I'm totally over Studio 60. God, they are all so annoying and not funny at all! It's hard to buy that anyone watches or cares about their ridiculous show. [Heroes, on the other hand? Totally awesome! Yes, I am a big nerd--did you miss the title of the blog?]
This book took me a while to read, but don't take that to mean I wasn't into it, b/c I was! But it was a little intense for beach reading--it takes place in Nigeria in the late 1960s, during the civil war. The story primarily focuses on a pair of wealthy, educated twins and their respective lovers--a revolutionary professor and a British writer--as well as a young village boy who becomes the houseboy of the professor. Their respective experiences during the war highlight the ravages of the period from nearly every angle--I actually wish this book would garner more critical attention, because I guarantee most Americans don't know this war ever took place, and have no idea of the impact it had (I didn't know much about it until I read this--it inspired some research. Librarian Power!). Anyway, this was a really well-written and moving story, and I'd highly recommend it.
P.S. I think I'm totally over Studio 60. God, they are all so annoying and not funny at all! It's hard to buy that anyone watches or cares about their ridiculous show. [Heroes, on the other hand? Totally awesome! Yes, I am a big nerd--did you miss the title of the blog?]
comments
Just FYI, I've been hit with a lot of comment spam lately, so I've turned on that word verification thingy in the comments. I was reluctant to do this, because it's annoying when you can't tell what the letters are, but the comment spam is even more annoying, so c'est la vie.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Friday, October 13, 2006
2006 book 115
Lemony Snicket's The End
And another entertaining series comes to an end--in quite an unexpected way. Not all the questions raised by the previous 12 books are answered, but it's still a satisfying resolution to a series whose last few books had taken all sorts of exciting twists and turns.
And another entertaining series comes to an end--in quite an unexpected way. Not all the questions raised by the previous 12 books are answered, but it's still a satisfying resolution to a series whose last few books had taken all sorts of exciting twists and turns.
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