Hello,
The weather is beautiful and I find myself with a lot of leisure time. I haven't been this free for a long time. Spent years as a work-a-holic & now I have an open schedule. Too bad my wifi has become inconstant. Well as Mick says "You can't always get what you want." True dat.
I had an awesome time last night at book club. Zach, former co-worker & book club moderator, had also arranged for us to talk with the author via phone. It was very cool. He answered our questions in a wonderfully honest way. Vlautin indicated that he sees his characters as real people. This must be hard because his novels are horribly grim. The brothers in Motel Life, and Alison Johnson in Northline are lost troubled souls. In contrast Vlautin seems like an easy going fellow. It was great talking to him and I thank Zach for pulling that together. Vlautin is a talented writer. His wounded characters will break your heart. He is an author to keep an eye on.
Review
Northline
The main character at the center of Northline is a lost soul. She has such a lack of self that the reader doesn't even know her name. She has been abused, scared, and deserted. She has decided it's time to leave her awful life in Las Vegas. It is at this moment of strength that writer Willy Vlautin reveals to the reader her name. It is up to Alison Johnson to find herself and deal with her pain. However this is not some cheesy uplifting woman overcomes all story, Vlautin gives us a more complex story. For every two steps forward that Alison makes she moves 3 steps back. It's rough to improve your own self image when you don't feel you deserve to be happy. She is wonderfully wounded and complex, this makes her small victories immense. If it's not clear I'll say it out right: I fell in love with Alison Johnson. This is all thanks to Vlautin's ability to create characters that are real. Although he still incorporates fantasy, here it's Paul Newman, Vlautin's writing is full of carefully chosen small moments. Moments like a gift of a snow globe, or a night of bingo, are magical when contrasted with the dark underside of living in Reno. I definitely reccommend this one.
(BTW if possible get the copy with a free soundtrack CD. Writer Willy Vlautin is also a musician in the band Richmond Fontaine. He ended up writing a few instrumentals that serve as a soundtrack to Northline. It was included with my Harper Perrenial paperback. Check it out.)
Other Reviews
The Independent | Book Soup | The Guardian
The Reading List
Books
Starman Omnibus Vol. 2
Goodbye To All That
Magazine
Four Four Two
Comic
Flash: Rebirth #2
Comic Pull List: TBD
Check Out Count: Getting better. Really.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-05-27
2009-05-22
Some Catching up to do.
Hey world,
Howse it hanging? Summertime has come and I have left you all hanging. Humble apologies, I just took a few days off. Wanted to catch up on some stuff. I ended up attacking my mighty comic stack and managed to read about 15 comics. That’s gotta count for something eh? I’ve got some catching up to do bookwise. I’m off pace to reach my goals, but I will have some more time on my hands. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Reviews
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Lately I’ve been very interested in Charles Dickens. I guess it’s the latest fad in literary circles. Actually I’ve been meaning to read this book for some time. Writer Les Standisford discusses the dire circumstances that Dickens produced A Christmas Carol. He makes a well rounded argument that this 1842 classic reshaped how the Victorians viewed the holidays. This combined with the poverty of the Industrial Age Dickens intended to make a statement regarding one man's change of heart. Ebenezar Scrooge is not influenced by the holy trinity but by the secular supernatural ghosts, hence the story is accessible to everyone. Standisford finds a nice balance between biography and sociological discussion. Dickens was financially destitute himself but he clearly felt that it was an obligation of the fortunate to help those less fortunate. A Christmas Carol bears this philosophy out. An interesting read.
Biographical Info: Charles Dickens
The Reading List
Books
Northline
Starman Omnibus Vol. 2
Comic
Deadpool #10
Magazine
Vanity Fair
Check Out Count: Dramatically Improving
Comic Pull List: Captain America #50, Green Arrow Black Canary #20, Outsiders #18, Trinity #51.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
Howse it hanging? Summertime has come and I have left you all hanging. Humble apologies, I just took a few days off. Wanted to catch up on some stuff. I ended up attacking my mighty comic stack and managed to read about 15 comics. That’s gotta count for something eh? I’ve got some catching up to do bookwise. I’m off pace to reach my goals, but I will have some more time on my hands. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Reviews
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Lately I’ve been very interested in Charles Dickens. I guess it’s the latest fad in literary circles. Actually I’ve been meaning to read this book for some time. Writer Les Standisford discusses the dire circumstances that Dickens produced A Christmas Carol. He makes a well rounded argument that this 1842 classic reshaped how the Victorians viewed the holidays. This combined with the poverty of the Industrial Age Dickens intended to make a statement regarding one man's change of heart. Ebenezar Scrooge is not influenced by the holy trinity but by the secular supernatural ghosts, hence the story is accessible to everyone. Standisford finds a nice balance between biography and sociological discussion. Dickens was financially destitute himself but he clearly felt that it was an obligation of the fortunate to help those less fortunate. A Christmas Carol bears this philosophy out. An interesting read.
Biographical Info: Charles Dickens
The Reading List
Books
Northline
Starman Omnibus Vol. 2
Comic
Deadpool #10
Magazine
Vanity Fair
Check Out Count: Dramatically Improving
Comic Pull List: Captain America #50, Green Arrow Black Canary #20, Outsiders #18, Trinity #51.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-05-16
The Printed Word
Hello cyberland,
I listen to a lot of podcasts and pay attention to new technologies. Have always been an early adopter of technology from the internet to Ipods to DVDs. I usually wait for the second generation models because then the price comes down and the bugs get worked out. Technology is a great tool when used effectively.
(Of course I still believe that if we give robots artificial intelligence they'll rise up against us, but that's another paranoid delusion for another time.)
Where am I going with this? Well today I was listening to one of my fave podcasters go on a diatribe about how everything is going to go digital. That in 10 years print will be dead. His argument involved the Kindle. Apple's new E-Reader allows for people to download books like an Ipod. Now I've heard all the arguments for it. Saves space, books are cheaper, and information more accessible. All of this is true.
However in my opinion no Kindle can replace the tactile joy of having the printed word in my hands. I've lived with books my whole life and I never want to be without them. It's something about the physical weight. The ability to turn the page which gives the reader the feeling of moving forward. Scrolling is not the same, neither is pressing a button.
I hope that my shelves are always full of books. And you know what if I don't think I'll read the book again, I donate/trade/pass it on to a friend. If I decide to keep one, I know that I'll have to get rid of one. This means I have to weigh each choice, giving the book even more value. This value is personal. I'm not a book collector.
The books I keep are stories that I know I'll read again. Not because they make me look smart or have some monetary value. I don't mind that space, because really what am I gonna put there instead? Sure when I have to move it will suck. But that's not in my plans anytime soon.
Lastly it is difficult to read words off a screen for an extended period of time. Don't get me wrong, I read my blogs, news, etc. off of computer screens. But can I read it for 8-10 hour stretches like a book. No I don't think so. Too much eye strain, and god forbid that the battery runs out. The torture of not being able to finish a compelling story, because there's no power jack. Or having to pay another 300 bucks if my Kindle breaks. No thank you.
So in the end while everyone may be toting around their e-reader devices, I'll be clutching my bound up printed pages.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
I listen to a lot of podcasts and pay attention to new technologies. Have always been an early adopter of technology from the internet to Ipods to DVDs. I usually wait for the second generation models because then the price comes down and the bugs get worked out. Technology is a great tool when used effectively.
(Of course I still believe that if we give robots artificial intelligence they'll rise up against us, but that's another paranoid delusion for another time.)
Where am I going with this? Well today I was listening to one of my fave podcasters go on a diatribe about how everything is going to go digital. That in 10 years print will be dead. His argument involved the Kindle. Apple's new E-Reader allows for people to download books like an Ipod. Now I've heard all the arguments for it. Saves space, books are cheaper, and information more accessible. All of this is true.
However in my opinion no Kindle can replace the tactile joy of having the printed word in my hands. I've lived with books my whole life and I never want to be without them. It's something about the physical weight. The ability to turn the page which gives the reader the feeling of moving forward. Scrolling is not the same, neither is pressing a button.
I hope that my shelves are always full of books. And you know what if I don't think I'll read the book again, I donate/trade/pass it on to a friend. If I decide to keep one, I know that I'll have to get rid of one. This means I have to weigh each choice, giving the book even more value. This value is personal. I'm not a book collector.
The books I keep are stories that I know I'll read again. Not because they make me look smart or have some monetary value. I don't mind that space, because really what am I gonna put there instead? Sure when I have to move it will suck. But that's not in my plans anytime soon.
Lastly it is difficult to read words off a screen for an extended period of time. Don't get me wrong, I read my blogs, news, etc. off of computer screens. But can I read it for 8-10 hour stretches like a book. No I don't think so. Too much eye strain, and god forbid that the battery runs out. The torture of not being able to finish a compelling story, because there's no power jack. Or having to pay another 300 bucks if my Kindle breaks. No thank you.
So in the end while everyone may be toting around their e-reader devices, I'll be clutching my bound up printed pages.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-05-12
Indians and Isolation
Hello all,
This is shaping up to be a great week here in the City of Salt. Lately I've been pretty successful at this living thing, so I expect disaster is on the way. Cynical me? No way. Well Onward eh?
Reviews
Speak
"I'm An Outcast." These words are intoned by the main character Melinda Sordino her first day of highschool. She clearly can't wait for it all to be over as her ex-best friend Rachel mouths "I hate you." In Laurie Halse Anderson's modern YA classic after suffering through a trauma in the summer between 8th grade and 9th Melinda has become a selective mute. Her decision to call the cops during a senior party has won her enmity and isolation. Anderson captures the mind of her main character with brutal honesty. The story is told completely thru Melinda's observations/emotions of those around her and herself. What happened to Melinda is really only part of the story, the real story is the journey that Melinda takes. I was caught up in her POV and was desperate for her to find her voice. I was also impressed by Anderson's use of nontraditional techniques both visual and storywise. In recent YA novels I've disliked when the story changes to script form but here it works. So much of this story is about how Melinda learns to communicate. This book is clearly a must-read.
Other Reviews
teenreads | Books on the Brain | The Blue Stocking Society
Scalped Vol. 4
I was so excited when this came in that I had to drop everything and read it. Scalped is the best written independent book today, No argument. Jason Aaron has created incredible characters in a horrible world. This book is not cheery. It is as violent and sad as life can be on an Indian Reservation. In this issue Aaron primarily focuses on crime boss Red Crow and his battle with the psychopathic Mr. Brass. While Crow is an amoral man there are lines that even he won't cross. Apparently there is always worse in Aaron's grim noir. While I was dissapointed somewhat by the sidelining of Dashiell Bad Horse I know that he will most likely return soon. I've come to trust in Aaron's writing and am dying for the next trade. R.M. Guera's art work continues to be amazing and directly reflects the tone of this book. Why aren't you reading this book?
Other Volume Reviews
Scalped Vol. 1, Scalped Vol. 2, Scalped Vol. 3
The Reading List
Books
My Five Cambridge Friends
Man Who Invented Christmas
Comics
Green Lantern #40
Magazine
Vanity Fair
Comic Pull List: Action Comics #877, Captain Britain And Mi 13 #13, Fables #84, Secret Six #9, Terry Moores Echo #12, Trinity #50, Umbrella Academy Dallas #6, Wolverine #73
Check Out Count: Slowly Getting Better.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
This is shaping up to be a great week here in the City of Salt. Lately I've been pretty successful at this living thing, so I expect disaster is on the way. Cynical me? No way. Well Onward eh?
Reviews
Speak
"I'm An Outcast." These words are intoned by the main character Melinda Sordino her first day of highschool. She clearly can't wait for it all to be over as her ex-best friend Rachel mouths "I hate you." In Laurie Halse Anderson's modern YA classic after suffering through a trauma in the summer between 8th grade and 9th Melinda has become a selective mute. Her decision to call the cops during a senior party has won her enmity and isolation. Anderson captures the mind of her main character with brutal honesty. The story is told completely thru Melinda's observations/emotions of those around her and herself. What happened to Melinda is really only part of the story, the real story is the journey that Melinda takes. I was caught up in her POV and was desperate for her to find her voice. I was also impressed by Anderson's use of nontraditional techniques both visual and storywise. In recent YA novels I've disliked when the story changes to script form but here it works. So much of this story is about how Melinda learns to communicate. This book is clearly a must-read.
Other Reviews
teenreads | Books on the Brain | The Blue Stocking Society
Scalped Vol. 4
I was so excited when this came in that I had to drop everything and read it. Scalped is the best written independent book today, No argument. Jason Aaron has created incredible characters in a horrible world. This book is not cheery. It is as violent and sad as life can be on an Indian Reservation. In this issue Aaron primarily focuses on crime boss Red Crow and his battle with the psychopathic Mr. Brass. While Crow is an amoral man there are lines that even he won't cross. Apparently there is always worse in Aaron's grim noir. While I was dissapointed somewhat by the sidelining of Dashiell Bad Horse I know that he will most likely return soon. I've come to trust in Aaron's writing and am dying for the next trade. R.M. Guera's art work continues to be amazing and directly reflects the tone of this book. Why aren't you reading this book?
Other Volume Reviews
Scalped Vol. 1, Scalped Vol. 2, Scalped Vol. 3
The Reading List
Books
My Five Cambridge Friends
Man Who Invented Christmas
Comics
Green Lantern #40
Magazine
Vanity Fair
Comic Pull List: Action Comics #877, Captain Britain And Mi 13 #13, Fables #84, Secret Six #9, Terry Moores Echo #12, Trinity #50, Umbrella Academy Dallas #6, Wolverine #73
Check Out Count: Slowly Getting Better.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-05-06
Soccer, Death, and Laughter
Hello Web World,
The Wi-Fi and weather have been a bit sporadic this week, so posting has been difficult. I guess that it's an embarassment of riches since I've got multi-reviews this week.
Again I have to thank all of you who came over from either Dickensblog or the wonderful Egalitarian Bookworm. They are both great literary blogs. I'm crazy-honored that they've highlighted anything that I have to say.
Enough Onward I Say!
Reviews
Thirteen Reasons Why
Jay Asher's debut novel Thirteen Reasons Why is an emotional thriller that I think can be labeled as the anti-thesis of last year's Paper Towns. Asher sets up a great premise that sucks you in. The book begins with Clay Asher who receives a box of audio tapes from Hannah Barker. Hannah is a fellow classmate who has committed suicide. Her instructions are that everyone who is featured on these tapes contributed to the psychological breakdown that led to her death. They must listen to the tapes to find out where they fit. Clay, who is a genuinely good person, agonizes as he listens to each tape desperate to find answers. Asher uses the tape device to give us Hannah's POV and then Clay's reaction to it. This book becomes a discussion of how one person's actions can have horrible repercussions. Hannah exposes the ugliness in those around her. While Paper Towns was a mystery where the clues led to a character's uplift, Thirteen Reasons Why is about a character's disintegration. Cheerful it's not. I do think that Asher captures the horrible emotional toll that Hannah suffers in a realistic fashion. I just wish that somehow Hannah Barker had been able to find help.
Other Reviews
Boys Blogging Books | Becky's Book Reviews | Em's Bookshelf
Dangerous Laughter
In this 13 story collection writer Millhauser showcases his cold and scientific writing style. He does a great job at dissecting ideas and philosophical concepts in stories like The Tower and The Dome. Steven Millhauser does not traffic in inter-personal conflict or emotional upheaval. As a reader I connect more with characters that act like real people in real situations, rather than the ideological. I had a difficult time with his unemotional style. Also could've done without the entire "Heretical Histories" section. There was not enough of the human element in there for me.
Other Reviews
New York Times | Literary License | Strange Horizons
The Game of Their Lives
The only sport that I follow these days with any enthusiasm is international soccer/football. I started with World Cup 2006 and have been a fan ever since. I picked up this slim re-telling of "The Miracle on Grass" because I hoped for a fun sports/history read. At the 1950 World Cup a rag tag US team beat the English powerhouse in an amazing match considered one of the greatest upsets in sports. Unfortunately even at 154 pages there just was not enough material here for a book. Writer Geoffrey Douglass tries very hard to fill out the story by including material about the immigrant enclave in St. Louis where many of these players came from. However it just got tiring. His best writing is his coverage of the actual game itself. In the more interesting passages Douglass dissects the dichotomy in the US vs. England style of play. In the end I think this works better as a magazine article than a book.
Bio Info: England v United States (1950)
The Reading List
Magazine
Vanity Fair
Comic
Wonder Woman
Books
The Man Who Invented Christmas
I Led 3 Lives
Check Out Count: Slowly decreasing
Comic Pull List: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #25, Deadpool #10, Flash Rebirth #2, League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 1910 #1, Superman World Of New Krypton #3, Trinity #49, Trojan War #1
Have a great week! Book Slave.
The Wi-Fi and weather have been a bit sporadic this week, so posting has been difficult. I guess that it's an embarassment of riches since I've got multi-reviews this week.
Again I have to thank all of you who came over from either Dickensblog or the wonderful Egalitarian Bookworm. They are both great literary blogs. I'm crazy-honored that they've highlighted anything that I have to say.
Enough Onward I Say!
Reviews
Thirteen Reasons Why
Jay Asher's debut novel Thirteen Reasons Why is an emotional thriller that I think can be labeled as the anti-thesis of last year's Paper Towns. Asher sets up a great premise that sucks you in. The book begins with Clay Asher who receives a box of audio tapes from Hannah Barker. Hannah is a fellow classmate who has committed suicide. Her instructions are that everyone who is featured on these tapes contributed to the psychological breakdown that led to her death. They must listen to the tapes to find out where they fit. Clay, who is a genuinely good person, agonizes as he listens to each tape desperate to find answers. Asher uses the tape device to give us Hannah's POV and then Clay's reaction to it. This book becomes a discussion of how one person's actions can have horrible repercussions. Hannah exposes the ugliness in those around her. While Paper Towns was a mystery where the clues led to a character's uplift, Thirteen Reasons Why is about a character's disintegration. Cheerful it's not. I do think that Asher captures the horrible emotional toll that Hannah suffers in a realistic fashion. I just wish that somehow Hannah Barker had been able to find help.
Other Reviews
Boys Blogging Books | Becky's Book Reviews | Em's Bookshelf
Dangerous Laughter
In this 13 story collection writer Millhauser showcases his cold and scientific writing style. He does a great job at dissecting ideas and philosophical concepts in stories like The Tower and The Dome. Steven Millhauser does not traffic in inter-personal conflict or emotional upheaval. As a reader I connect more with characters that act like real people in real situations, rather than the ideological. I had a difficult time with his unemotional style. Also could've done without the entire "Heretical Histories" section. There was not enough of the human element in there for me.
Other Reviews
New York Times | Literary License | Strange Horizons
The Game of Their Lives
The only sport that I follow these days with any enthusiasm is international soccer/football. I started with World Cup 2006 and have been a fan ever since. I picked up this slim re-telling of "The Miracle on Grass" because I hoped for a fun sports/history read. At the 1950 World Cup a rag tag US team beat the English powerhouse in an amazing match considered one of the greatest upsets in sports. Unfortunately even at 154 pages there just was not enough material here for a book. Writer Geoffrey Douglass tries very hard to fill out the story by including material about the immigrant enclave in St. Louis where many of these players came from. However it just got tiring. His best writing is his coverage of the actual game itself. In the more interesting passages Douglass dissects the dichotomy in the US vs. England style of play. In the end I think this works better as a magazine article than a book.
Bio Info: England v United States (1950)
The Reading List
Magazine
Vanity Fair
Comic
Wonder Woman
Books
The Man Who Invented Christmas
I Led 3 Lives
Check Out Count: Slowly decreasing
Comic Pull List: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #25, Deadpool #10, Flash Rebirth #2, League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 1910 #1, Superman World Of New Krypton #3, Trinity #49, Trojan War #1
Have a great week! Book Slave.
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