Update: Blame it on the alcohol. No Really.

Hey folks,
Just wanted to let you guys know that I'm not dead. Still here, still alive. Just too busy to really read or write about it. It's a good excuse I think. The workshop that I run is starting up so I've been busy putting that together. Add that to the library load. There's only so much awesome me to go around. Here's some highlights bullet-style:
*Met my library-idol Scott Douglass. Still embarassed by my fan-girlish behavior.
*Loved X-Men: First Class. Marvel, bring on the Erik Lensherr: Nazi Hunter prequel series.
*Never thought Woody Allen would be on top of a literary sci-fi trend.
*Participating in 1book1twitter again by reading Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. Yay!
*Dropped out of my other book club, because I don't have time for it. Which is sad, but it had to happen.
*Put together a fantastic event with local artist Jess Smiley which restored my faith in humanity.

That's all I got for you folks, Have a great week! Book Slave.

Reading List 5/3/2011-5/10/2011

Hey guys,
It's a new month! Let's be happy brothers and sisters. Apologies for being MIA last week, but I was busy, sick, neurotic, tired and there was a wedding...well I had a lot going on. And really not too much time to read. But this week I'm on it. Really. I swear.

Reading List 5/3/2011-5/10/2011
Books
Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith-Terribly excited for this. I loved The Way He Lived, even though it hurt me physically with it's words.
Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware

Magazine
Library Journal

Comics
Got some back issues of Unwritten, Morning Glories, and Batgirl for fun.

Also looking forward to digging into Downton Abbey, and Mad Men Season 4. Also there's some small movie about a Norse God that I'll be seeing.

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Reading List 4/12/2011-4/19/2011

Hey folks,
Howse it rolling? Good I hope. Here's my plan for the next week.

Reading List 4/12/2011-4/19/2011
Books
Seven Soldiers of Victory
Dark Phoenix Saga
Astonishing X-Men vol. 3

Magazine
Four Four Two

Comics
The same stack of comics. Full of Shame.

Books I Have Finished
Flash: Rebirth
Essex County: Ghost Brothers
Wired April 2011
Astonishing X-Men vol. 2

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Reading List 3/22/2011-3/29/2011

Hey guys,
Apologies for missing last week. It's a busy time for this wee lass. Also the internet is not always free and available to me.

Finished Books
Killing Shakespeare vol. 1 - Very Clever. Yet I did not like the art-style. Definitely for the lit types.
Daytripper - Pure Magic. This book is well worth all the praise that it has received. Do yourself a favor and read this. Now.
The Dead - My annual St. Patrick Days read. The last page still kills me. Oh Joyce.
Essex County vol. 1: Tales from the Farm - A reread for my Graphic Novel Book Club. Lemire is a wonderful purveyor of Canadian sadness.

Reading List 3/22/2011-3/29/2011
Books
The Moviegoer
Irredeemable vol. 4

Magazines
Four Four Two

Comics
More new comic goodness. Some Fantastic Four, Detective, and even Walking Dead. Should be good.

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Reading List 3/8/2011-3/15/2011

Hey folks,
In my neck of the woods we just got slammed with a snowpocalypse. Perfect reading weather right? I know what I'll be doing tonight.
So here's the plan this week.

Reading List 3/8/2011-3/15/2011
Books
Kill Shakespeare vol. 1-Looks very Fables-esque.
Daytripper

Comics
Green Lantern #62, Batman #707, New Avengers #8 & 9, Fables #102, Flash #9, Action Comics #897, Walking Dead #81-Finally some new stuff to read! It's been too long.

Finished
Superman Secret Origin

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Reading List 2/8/2011-2/15/2011

Hey folks,
Hope that y'all are having a good week. Here's my plan, reading-wise:

Reading List 2/8/2011-2/15/2011
Books
Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman
Shopgirl by Steve Martin
"A Case of Identity" by Arthur Conan Doyle - More Sherlock! Yeah.

Magazine
Entertainment Weekly

Comics
Diving back into the oldies stack. I've noticed that I am reading less new comics these days. I guess that happens when you drop Amazing Spider-Man, Superman, and Daredevil.

Also I'm fully enraptured with Doctor Who. If you only watch one episode of this series ever, you need to watch "Blink" from Season 3. It's incredible! This ep also stars Carey Mulligan, who is mind-blowingly fantastic. Do yourself a favor folks and watch it. You'll thank me.

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Reading List 2/1/2011-2/8/2011

Hey folks,
It's a horrible bitter cold world out there. Like Siberia or Chicago.
Here's my plan this week:

Reading List 2/1/2011-2/8/2011
Books
Shopgirl by Steve Martin -This is for the reading challenge at work. It's also been sitting on my TBR pile for a long time.
Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman
Heed the Thunder by Jim Thompson

Magazine
Entertainment Weekly

Comics
Batman & Buffy-An interesting combo I gotta say.

Also I'm full on obsessed with Doctor Who. Really. Where has this been all my life? Geektastic.

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Reading List 1-11-2011 to 1-18-2011

Hello,
It's very chilly here in this salty cold desert. I'm really not kidding. Let's get going.

Reading List 1-11-2011 to 1-18-2011
Books
Now and On Earth
And Then There Were None-Agatha Christie is "cozy" right? I think I can make that argument.

Magazine
Four Four Two

Comics
Dakota North Investigations-Yeah this is another $0.25 purchase. I just can't believe this series ever existed.

And a wonderful array of DVDs which are in my possession. One even involves shirtless wolf-boys. (It's from the library folks. I'd never actually pay for that.)

Have a great week. Book Slave.

Things I Learned this Year 2010, Lit-style

Hey,
So it's that reflexive time of year as we gallop from Christmas to New Years. Warning: Self-indulgent navel gazing ahead.
Here's a few things I feel as if I've learned:
-Oh I wish I could read that Mark Twain Autobiography. However if the book is more than 400 pages, then I won't read it.
-Finding a great book club or reading group is awesome. There's a gaping hole left behind when they are gone. I miss my book club. *sigh*
-I love io9, AV Club, and Neil Gaiman's blog.
-1b1t was a wonderful experiment. It showcased the "best" of what the internet can be used for.
-Great Literary adaptations are possible without being completely purist. For example: The Walking Dead, Girl With A Dragon Tattoo series, BBC adaptation of Emma (2010).
-Pairing Unlikely Directors & Writers with the right material can lead to wonderful results. For example Mark Romanek/Alex Garland and Never Let Me Go, Aaron Sorkin and The Social Network, Steven Moffat and Sherlock.
-Endings are difficult.
-Facebook is a key social media tool. It's not something to be afraid of.
-I'm still not interested in Digital Comics.
-Even having an internet interview will give you 15 minutes of fame. Even when you're a geek.
-Librarians shouldn't need databases to do reader's advisory. It's not that hard to keep a list of books to reccommend in your head. Or dare I say it: Just Read Books.
-I await the day when Ipads/tablets will revolutionize library work. I dream of a day when there are no more reference desks.
-Thank you JMS, Danny Way, and Andy Diggle. I was successfully able to drop Superman, Wolverine, and Daredevil thanks to you.
-Joe Kelly should write Amazing Spider-Man. All the time.
-I can cut down on my library reading pile. It feels good to do so.
-Twitter is a wonderful thing if only so that you can follow Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Steve Martin.
-There are still too many books.

I'm sure there's more. However I have Christmas to do. So have a great holiday! Book Slave.

Reading List 11/23/2010-11/30/2010

Hey Folks,
Getting back to normal around here at the Reading List. At first I was very busy with job #2 & then the internet decided to go wonky. The combination of these things have made me somewhat unreliable. I don't want to lie with you Constant Readers. However look for some more action around the Reading List as we come around to the end of the year.

Reading List 11/23/2010-11/30/2010
Books
Cowboy Ninja Viking
A Room of One's Own

Magazines
People-Folks I am human. Every once and awhile...

Comics
Spiderman #645-647

Also got some Bones Season 5, some Walking Dead episodes. And then there's THANKSGIVING!

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Me, Conservatives, and Meghan McCain

Hey,
Ready for some politics folks? Feels strangely appropriate at the moment.

Meghan McCain, Republicans, and Me: Dirty Sexy Politics
So I finally finished Meghan McCain's book Dirty Sexy Politics. As I've mentioned before I am a pretty liberal minded citizen who lives in a very conservative state. While I am constantly surrounded by the overtly Republican-minded, I've never felt that my political beliefs shared the same bed with that mind-set. However I also feel that everyone has the right to their own opinions and beliefs. I don't get upset until someone tries to force their politics onto me. Nor is it my right to tell others that they are wrong in their belief system.

I have a feeling that I would get along with Meghan McCain just fine. Throughout her behind the scenes chronicle of the McCain presidential campaign of 2008, she portrays herself as a moderate. She seems able to balance a pro-life standpoint with a pro-gay marriage stance. These beliefs can both exist within the same conservative person. That she also has no problem with drinking beer, pre-marital sex, and Rock Band, also shows that human beings are wonderfully multi-faceted. No one should expect that all conservatives are the same.

In the end McCain's book makes a plea for the conservatives to open up their umbrella to allow more moderates underneath. She writes at being taken aback by the ambition and grandstanding of Sarah Palin. Did she anticipate the political monster that would emerge out of Alaska? Perhaps. However McCain is very careful not to be too critical of her own party. This makes Dirty Sexy Politics a fun breezy read, but in the end it's insubstantial. If she really thinks that the Far Right is going to roll over and give up their political clout she is sadly mistaken.
The Far Right has successfully created a political machine centered around wedge issues and an ignorant citizenry. Meghan McCain may be adorable and fun but if she wants to influence conservative minds she needs to strive for a more critical voice.

Have a great weekend! Book Slave.

Too busy to read & politics.

Hey Folks,
This week and the next are very busy for this usually boring lass. I have somehow ended up in the crazy position of throwing a swanky party for high class monied individuals. However I will say that I'm carrying around a book that ended up being somewhat prescient. I initially picked up Meghan McCain's book Dirty Sexy Politics because of her interview on Jon Stewart.

Now long time readers will know that I am far from Republican, but I'm interested enough in politics that I want to see both sides. From what I can tell it seems that Meghan McCain sees herself as pulling the Republicans away from the fringe parties. As a person who is the same age as her I am interested in her point of view. I live in a highly conservative state, however the majority of the politics here is very sheep-like. Voters in my state tend to vote strictly based on party and religion alone. All you have to do is look at our election results this week to be able to draw that conclusion.

However I think that the countries political landscape is very vitriolic. Anger and rage and shouting. Nobody wants to pay taxes and everyone's shocked that years of deficit spending has caused all kinds of infrastructure problems. It would be incredibly naive to believe that if we just change parties that everything will fix itself instantly. This is just not possible.

At an early age I understood that in order to make informed decisions you need to be able to see things from all sides. One of my favorite early political books is titled All's Fair. It follows the political romance of James Carville and Mary Matalin. They were each key political players on opposite sides of of the 2002 political campaign. At the same time they are opposing each other politically they are attempting to maintain a relationship outside of the public eye. It's very entertaining, insightful, and balanced. I reccomend it if you can find a copy.

I think that an informed electorate is a key to successful citizenship. These days this is easily forgotten as we all embrace whichever side we are on. Let's not forget this. Complex problems, require a multiple POVs. So I've decided to give this book a chance. And let's face it, it's probably all I have time for and seems a bit amusing. I mean look at that cover.

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Altruism, Gaiman, And All Hallows Read

Hey,
For those who follow the magical writer Neil Gaiman this is old news. However I thought that I would add my thoughts to the chorus of praise. He has suggested that for Halloween this year that everyone give a "scary" book to friend, family, or stranger. He then put out a call to his legion of fans for a name for this idea and he chose the phrase "All Hallows Eve." I have to say that I am continually impressed with Mr. Gaiman's use of his influence to promote literacy.

He is clearly a man who wants use his powers for good, rather than fame or book sales. Any cynic would claim this to be a promotional stunt, but Mr. Gaiman doesn't have any new book release to sell. I think that Mr. Gaiman is a lover of books, hell here's a picture of his library:He also was very willing earlier this year to participate in the crowd sourcing experiment "1 book 1 Twitter" project, which centered around his book American Gods. Now in theory he may have earned from book sales, but he also was willing to sit for two sessions of Q&A from Twitter followers. That's private time spent on an older book which he didn't have to do. Mr. Gaiman continues to use innovation "crowd-sourcing" opportunities to keep in touch with his fanbase. He's a long-time blogger and was one of the first authors to use Twitter. However it is original ideas such as "All Hallows Read" that will continually pick him up new readers. I feel that his altruism will continually gain him fans in the book community. He never seems to be out shilling on talk shows or tearing other writer's down in order to succeed. No diva behavior, just a modest good nature. I've never met the man, so I hope that this characterization is true.

So give a scary book this Halloween. It's better than candy. Book Slave.

An Explanation & Reading List 10-19-2010 to 10-26-2010

Hey,
So Indeed there was no posting last week, however there was a reason. It may not be completely reasonable but it is the truth dear readers. And really this just between us right?

The story begins with last week where I found myself lost. I never lack for reading choices but I felt compelled to stir things up. As a constant reader, and because clearly I'm somewhat OCD, I enjoy creating elaborate systems/schedules/methods that will dictate what I grab from the TBR mountain.

In the past I've used the following organizational methods:
*Page Length-Shortest to longest
*Chronological-Oldest to Most recent
*Alphabetical by authors last name
*Subject

Then it can get more tricky:
*Type of book-paperback, trade, hardcover, other. Then Chronological.
*or then alphabetical by subject
*Or then alphabetical by authors last name...

As you can see it's pure madness really. I blame a dual career in Libraries and Book Stores for this craziness. These things are also to blame for the size of my TBR pile but I digress...

Anyway I find that I like to use one method for awhile and then change things up. Last week I was ready for a change. Hence a reorganization began! And I discovered that I really need to burn through some of these books. There's new piles folks...It's not good.

So after that long explanation here's the plan this week:
Reading List 10-19-2010 to 10-26-2010
Books
New Avengers Vol. 4
Two or Three Things I Know For Sure

Magazine
Four Four Two

Comic
Yes folks I have caught up on the new books. So it's time to dig into the Back Issues. Which is nice.

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Reading List 10/5 to 10/12

Hey folks,
I have gotten much reading done this weekend and thrown some books to the side at least for the moment. You'll see in the upcoming days.

However here's a plan for this week:
Reading List 10-5 to 10/12
Comics
A mega stack of comic goodness. Involves some ASM, some Fables, some Flash, some FF. Good times all around.

Books
Accidental Billionaires
New Avengers vol. 4
Battlefields vol. 4

Magazines
Four Four Two

Got some good stuff coming up this October. Have a great week! Book Slave.

Hey they're making a movie of that.

Hey folks,
Looking at my calendar I noticed that it's September. September! Yeah!

Don't get me wrong. Summer can be awesome. In my neck of the woods it means insanely high temperatures, the ritualistic burning of my fair skin, and a dryness that will suck every drop of moisture from your body. Oh but I digress.

For me the fall season means that my two passions collide: movies and books. Traditionally high class movie adaptations appear in the fall so that they can be released as award-bait. Hollywood's cynical calculation is my gain as I get excited seeing what's coming up. I will always support movie-adaptations of books because it does drive people to check out the original source material. Whether the movie is good or bad, readers will be naturally drawn to the original which is a great thing. Anything that leads to more reading by our civilization is a beneficial act.

Case in point: Recently I was motivated to finally read Never Let Me Go because I saw the trailer for the upcoming film. I ended up loving this book and now I'm even more psyched for the movie. (read my review here) Now it's completely plausible that this book may have sat on my TBR pile for another 5 years if this movie adaptation didn't happen. Sometimes it takes the simplest of reasons for one book to push to the top.

As I've written before I'm not a purist. I don't expect movies and books to be the same. I'll save that for BBC. I actually expect a screenwriter and director to bring their own style/interpretation to the material. We've all seen Pride and Prejudice a billion times. Same goes for Jane Eyre. I don't want to see what I've seen already. In some strange cases the movie is better than the book. It does happen every once and awhile. I've felt that the Swedish movie adaptations of Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy have been phenomenal. However I also feel that the streamlining of the plot elevates the material. Larsson's books sometimes suffer due to too much detail and not enough editing. The movies increase the action and tension but cuts down on some of the tedious details that I don't care about. If you get the chance to check out the Swedish movie versions I highly reccommend them based on Noomi Rapace's performance alone.

Anyway here's three book to movie adaptations coming out this year (along with the aforementioned Never Let Me Go) that I am now compelled to read the book based on the trailers that I have seen:

*Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. This is the original source material for the film The Social Network.











*The Adjustment Bureau by Philip K. Dick.













*Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan. This is the original source material for the film The Town.












Look for these reviews in the future. (Well Maybe...) Have a great mid-week! Book Slave.

Reading List 8/31/2010-9/7/2010

Hello you all,
Here's the plan for this week.

Reading List 8/31/2010-9/7/2010
Books
Revolver-OGN by Matt Kindt, not a treatise on the classic Beatles album
Rasl vol. 2

Comics
Daredevil, Walking Dead, and assorted issues.

Magazines
Four Four Two- It's soccer season! Or should I say football?

I have been a somewhat lazy reader as of late but I do want to kick it up a notch this fall. There is much to catch up on before the fall movie-adaptation season begins. More on that soon.
Have a great week! Book Slave.

Reading List 8/17/2010-8/24/2010

Hey folks,
Here’s the plan for this week. So nice to see things getting back to normal eh?

Reading List 8/17-8/24/2010
Books
Last Olympian
Chronicles Vol. 1-Due to the fact that I am seeing Bob Dylan in concert tonight. Yes let me repeat that: I am seeing Bob Dylan tonight! (Very excited)

Comics
Amazing Spider-Man-the last two arcs The Grim Hunt & One Moment In Time. I'm so behind. Then some random issues of comics that I've picked up over the last little while.

Magazines
Four Four Two

In addition to this fine reading I've now got time to do the following: Re-Watch the magic that is West Wing. Finally watch Skins Series 1. And the next series of MI-5. It’s nice to be a bit slovenly.

Enjoy your week! Book Slave.

Don't call it a Comeback & Never Let Me Go

Hey folks,
Yes I am back. I’ve been horribly absent from this blog but trust me it was because of a worthy cause. When I’m not lost in the written word I like to find ways that I can keep myself busy. So that’s where I was. But now I’ve returned like that cat that came back. Thank you those who’ve stuck around to read my literary rantings. I’ll try not to stay away so long.

Never Let Me Go: Go Get the Tissues.

Never Let Me Go by Kazou Ishiguro has been sitting on my TBR pile for a long time. I was motivated when I saw the trailer for the new movie adaptation. That trailer pushed me to the point where I finally picked it up and entered the world of Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy. These three friends are all students of Hailsham, a boarding school for those who are “special.” The story is told in flashback thru the eyes of Kathy who works as a “carer.” I am being purposely vague because I don’t want to lessen the emotional impact of this story. He is subtle in such a way that may lose readers who seek out melodrama. There are neither bombs that explode nor people held at gunfire. The stakes, however, remain just as crucial to our metaphysical existence. What does it mean to have a soul? What does it mean to be human?

Ishiguro uses a limited narration that keeps the readers at a distance. At first Hailsham seems like any other boarding school but slowly the reader gains a feeling of something more sinister. This underlying feeling that there is something “different” about the world in which these characters exist drove me forward. Even though I knew that Kathy’s tone of melancholy meant that there would be no happy endings. Kathy’s acceptance of this makes Ishiguro’s indictment of this society even more tragic. Tears welled up in my eyes upon the devastating climax because it was all so inevitable.

This book hurt my soul. I’ve talked before about books that I can’t read in public because I’ll end up making an emotional mess of myself. Well add another book to the list.

Oh by the way here’s that trailer I was talking about:



It’s good to be back. Have a great summer night, Book Slave.

A little Ranting & Reading List 7/27-8/3

Hey Folks,
Don't worry I'm still alive! This summer is a very busy thing for your humble reader/blogger. This week I had the chance to sit back and dive back into the wonderful magical world of the reading experience. That respite was a moment of sweet salvation from a very hectic time. It was a great reminder that no matter how crazy the world can get (and it can get crazy), there's a place that you can escape to. Reading is not about just "getting thru it." It's not about getting the slate clean. Even when you have "homework" if what you are reading is well-written then it's not "work." Literature, books, the written word, whatever you want to call it, should be a joy. Let's not forget.

Alright, stepping down from my personal pillory, here's the plan this week.

Reading List 7/27-8/3
Books
Battle of the Labyrinth
Batwoman: Elegy

Comics
A gorgeous stack of goodness.

Magazine
Four Four Two-World Cup Wrap Up.

Google Reader Catch Up Continues. It's at the point where it's not 1000+ which constitutes a lot of hard work folks.

Have a great week! Book Slave.