Hello All,
Oh it’s fall and I feel the strange need to clean and improve. I finally put up new curtains (only took 3 years!), not to mention throwing out that office chair that became dangerous to sit in. I also feel the need to clear out some of these books I’ve got lying around. We’ll see what hell that well-intentioned thought brings.
Reading List 9/7/2010-9/14/2010
Books
The Last Olympian-AKA the last Percy Jackson book!
The Subteraneans-Feel like some beat literature in prep for Howl
Accidental Billionaires-In prep for The Social Network
Magazine
Four Four Two
Comics
All caught up! Time for some back issues.
That’s all folks! Have a great week! Book Slave.
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
2010-09-07
2009-10-14
Fall magic.
Hello,
I hope that you are all well. I love the magical feeling of fall in the air. It's wonderful. You know what else I'm psyched about? The fall movie season. This time of year combines the two passions of my life: books & cinema. Where the Wild Things Are comes out Fri. I've been salivating to see this film since May, so it's this weekend or bust. I never would of thought that this book could be brought to life like this. I've always maintained that not every book should/could be made into a film. Personally I never want to see an adaptation of On the Road. Ever. I guess it depends on the writer and directors vision for the material. I'm also pretty excited for The Road in November.
Well enough of this...Onward!
Reviews
Arkham Asylum
I've been meaning to pick this up for some time. What have I missed? A classic examination of the psychology of the dark knight. Morrison & McKean combine their considerable insight into the dark recesses of the mind. And they don't hold back. This book is a work of art. McKean combines photography, abstract art, and dynamic layouts to frighten the bejesus out of any reader. In the plot Batman is called upon to deal with a riot at Arkham Asylum being led by The Joker. Once inside Batman's psychological journey is juxtaposed with the story of the founder Jeremiah Arkham. Morrison's use of symbolism, juxtaposition, and literary allusion elevates comic writing to high art. This is a great book. Read It.
Video Review
God of Carnage
Occasionally I like to read plays. Unfortunately where I live I probably won't see the hot Tony-winning plays performed onstage for a few years. Fortunately the plays of Yasmina Reza are about adults who are stripped down to their bare selves. These ordinary people are easy to imagine as your next door neighbor. In the play God of Carnage a set of parents get together after a violent altercation between their kids. Slowly we see each character break down and shed their artificiality. Reza takes each character down a complex road that reminded me of Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. She's more intellectual than Albee, so it's less melodramatic. However I think that this is easier to "read on the page." I do look forward to seeing it staged hopefully soon.
Bio Info: Yasmina Reza
Battlefields: Night Witches
I read this in issues as it was coming out but I decided to pick up the trade paperback. It's still a great series. Comics writer Garth Ennis started a series of 3 issue arcs featuring different stories from WWII. In each arc he's shown a spotlight on some not so well known groups in the military. Night Witches features a group of female Russian pilots who are recruited to do dangerous bombing missions in Germany. Of course the women are treated like crap by the male military, so they rely on each other. Like Preacher, Ennis is not afraid to show the horrors of war. But he also does a great job at characterization and makes sure all the women have unique personalities. This is Ennis's best work since Preacher ended. It's a great series.
Bio Info: Adventures in Feministory: The Night Witches
Other Reviews: Comic Book Resources
The Reading List
Books
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
Boston Marriage
Mags
Four Four Two
Comic
Daredevil #900
Comic Pull List: Action Comics #882, Adventure Comics #3, Batgirl #3, Batman #691, Blackest Night Batman #3, Bprd 1947 #4, Deadpool #900, Fables #89, Green Arrow Black Canary #25, Red Robin #5, Secret Six #14
Check Out Count: Steady.
Have a great week! Book Slave
I hope that you are all well. I love the magical feeling of fall in the air. It's wonderful. You know what else I'm psyched about? The fall movie season. This time of year combines the two passions of my life: books & cinema. Where the Wild Things Are comes out Fri. I've been salivating to see this film since May, so it's this weekend or bust. I never would of thought that this book could be brought to life like this. I've always maintained that not every book should/could be made into a film. Personally I never want to see an adaptation of On the Road. Ever. I guess it depends on the writer and directors vision for the material. I'm also pretty excited for The Road in November.
Well enough of this...Onward!
Reviews
Arkham Asylum
I've been meaning to pick this up for some time. What have I missed? A classic examination of the psychology of the dark knight. Morrison & McKean combine their considerable insight into the dark recesses of the mind. And they don't hold back. This book is a work of art. McKean combines photography, abstract art, and dynamic layouts to frighten the bejesus out of any reader. In the plot Batman is called upon to deal with a riot at Arkham Asylum being led by The Joker. Once inside Batman's psychological journey is juxtaposed with the story of the founder Jeremiah Arkham. Morrison's use of symbolism, juxtaposition, and literary allusion elevates comic writing to high art. This is a great book. Read It.
Video Review
God of Carnage
Occasionally I like to read plays. Unfortunately where I live I probably won't see the hot Tony-winning plays performed onstage for a few years. Fortunately the plays of Yasmina Reza are about adults who are stripped down to their bare selves. These ordinary people are easy to imagine as your next door neighbor. In the play God of Carnage a set of parents get together after a violent altercation between their kids. Slowly we see each character break down and shed their artificiality. Reza takes each character down a complex road that reminded me of Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. She's more intellectual than Albee, so it's less melodramatic. However I think that this is easier to "read on the page." I do look forward to seeing it staged hopefully soon.
Bio Info: Yasmina Reza
Battlefields: Night Witches
I read this in issues as it was coming out but I decided to pick up the trade paperback. It's still a great series. Comics writer Garth Ennis started a series of 3 issue arcs featuring different stories from WWII. In each arc he's shown a spotlight on some not so well known groups in the military. Night Witches features a group of female Russian pilots who are recruited to do dangerous bombing missions in Germany. Of course the women are treated like crap by the male military, so they rely on each other. Like Preacher, Ennis is not afraid to show the horrors of war. But he also does a great job at characterization and makes sure all the women have unique personalities. This is Ennis's best work since Preacher ended. It's a great series.
Bio Info: Adventures in Feministory: The Night Witches
Other Reviews: Comic Book Resources
The Reading List
Books
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
Boston Marriage
Mags
Four Four Two
Comic
Daredevil #900
Comic Pull List: Action Comics #882, Adventure Comics #3, Batgirl #3, Batman #691, Blackest Night Batman #3, Bprd 1947 #4, Deadpool #900, Fables #89, Green Arrow Black Canary #25, Red Robin #5, Secret Six #14
Check Out Count: Steady.
Have a great week! Book Slave
2008-09-23
Opportunity Knocks.
Hello world,
Is it wrong that I love the fact that this morning it was a little nippy? I cannot wait for scarves, gloves, and thick socks. It may shock some but fall here in the City of Salt is actually kind of awesome. Sure by December and January I'll be cursing snow, ice, and frigid cold, but now I am waiting in anticipation. Fall! Onward!
This week some life happened. Some opportunities have come around and I'm pretty stoked. Because of this I had to change some of my reading plans. So no reviews this week but definitely there will be next week.
Announcements
Hey so because of a change in schedule I finally have the chance to join a book club. One of my co-workers the mysterious Zach Sampinos started the Hard Boiled Book Club. You can read about it here. Sampinos is a pretty interesting fellow, here's an interview with him here. Anyway because of scheduling I'm now able to join. It has been awhile since I've been in a book group and I've missed it. So we'll see how this works out.
What's In My Bag
Books
Twilight of the Superheroes
X Saves the World
Magazines
Four Four Two
Comic
Deadpool #1
Checkout Count: 2 steps forward, 3 steps back.
Comic Pull List:Daredevil #111, Deadpool #2, Fables #76, New Avengers #45, Powers #30, Runaways 3 #2, Superman #680, Trinity #17
Have a great week! Peace Out Y'All! Book Slave.
Is it wrong that I love the fact that this morning it was a little nippy? I cannot wait for scarves, gloves, and thick socks. It may shock some but fall here in the City of Salt is actually kind of awesome. Sure by December and January I'll be cursing snow, ice, and frigid cold, but now I am waiting in anticipation. Fall! Onward!
This week some life happened. Some opportunities have come around and I'm pretty stoked. Because of this I had to change some of my reading plans. So no reviews this week but definitely there will be next week.
Announcements
Hey so because of a change in schedule I finally have the chance to join a book club. One of my co-workers the mysterious Zach Sampinos started the Hard Boiled Book Club. You can read about it here. Sampinos is a pretty interesting fellow, here's an interview with him here. Anyway because of scheduling I'm now able to join. It has been awhile since I've been in a book group and I've missed it. So we'll see how this works out.
What's In My Bag
Books
Twilight of the Superheroes
X Saves the World
Magazines
Four Four Two
Comic
Deadpool #1
Checkout Count: 2 steps forward, 3 steps back.
Comic Pull List:Daredevil #111, Deadpool #2, Fables #76, New Avengers #45, Powers #30, Runaways 3 #2, Superman #680, Trinity #17
Have a great week! Peace Out Y'All! Book Slave.
2008-09-10
Rainy weather makes me thoughtful
Hey world,
It's me, I'm here to say hello. I find myself oddly loving the cloudy drizzle outside. I'm not usually a fan of rainy weather, yet I guess I can't wait for fall. I'm sure I'll be cursing the weather gods soon enough. It's been an odd couple of days. Not sure what the future holds. But don't worry I won't abandon you gentle reader. Let's move precariously forward shall we?
Reviews
Astonishing X-Men Vol. 3 & 4
Yes, I finished up this great series from Joss Whedon. The X-Men is generally known as a superhero soap opera. I think that the reason why this series is so awesome is because it maintains it's focus on the characters rather than melodrama. In Vol. 3 each X-Man is led to their darkest psychological places and it is genuinely intense. I found myself caring about Scott Summers aka Cyclops. Cyclops is usually written as really boring when compared to the flashier Wolverine. Whedon brings out the awesome in Cyclops and shows us why he is the leader. This is strengthened by his relationship with femme fatale Emma Frost. Is she really good? Is she faking? Whedon does more than make it a simple answer of yes or no. Emma Frost has her own twisted psychological problems that make her a real character. Emma Frost and Scott Summers are one of the best couples in comics because they both understand their imperfections. Also I have to say that the humor, especially in the scenes with Wolverine, is laugh out loud funny. A very enjoyable series.
What's In My Bag
Books
Bel Canto
Books
Comics
Justice Machine #1
Magazines
Sports Illustrated
Check Out Count: Things are looking up.
Comic Pull List: Criminal 2 #5, Deadpool #1, Dynamo 5 #16, Final Crisis Revelations #2, Goon #28, Green Arrow Black Canary #12, Secret Invasion #6, Secret Invasion Runaways Young Avengers #3, Stand Captain Trips #1, Trinity #15, Wonder Woman #24.
Have an awesome week! Go England! Book Slave.
It's me, I'm here to say hello. I find myself oddly loving the cloudy drizzle outside. I'm not usually a fan of rainy weather, yet I guess I can't wait for fall. I'm sure I'll be cursing the weather gods soon enough. It's been an odd couple of days. Not sure what the future holds. But don't worry I won't abandon you gentle reader. Let's move precariously forward shall we?
Reviews
Astonishing X-Men Vol. 3 & 4
Yes, I finished up this great series from Joss Whedon. The X-Men is generally known as a superhero soap opera. I think that the reason why this series is so awesome is because it maintains it's focus on the characters rather than melodrama. In Vol. 3 each X-Man is led to their darkest psychological places and it is genuinely intense. I found myself caring about Scott Summers aka Cyclops. Cyclops is usually written as really boring when compared to the flashier Wolverine. Whedon brings out the awesome in Cyclops and shows us why he is the leader. This is strengthened by his relationship with femme fatale Emma Frost. Is she really good? Is she faking? Whedon does more than make it a simple answer of yes or no. Emma Frost has her own twisted psychological problems that make her a real character. Emma Frost and Scott Summers are one of the best couples in comics because they both understand their imperfections. Also I have to say that the humor, especially in the scenes with Wolverine, is laugh out loud funny. A very enjoyable series.
What's In My Bag
Books
Bel Canto
Books
Comics
Justice Machine #1
Magazines
Sports Illustrated
Check Out Count: Things are looking up.
Comic Pull List: Criminal 2 #5, Deadpool #1, Dynamo 5 #16, Final Crisis Revelations #2, Goon #28, Green Arrow Black Canary #12, Secret Invasion #6, Secret Invasion Runaways Young Avengers #3, Stand Captain Trips #1, Trinity #15, Wonder Woman #24.
Have an awesome week! Go England! Book Slave.
2008-09-02
Review-a-palooza!
Hello world-out-there,
It's gotten a bit colder, summer is biting the dust. Labor Day has come and gone, no more wearing white according to Emily Post. What I do know though is that there will always be books! Onwards!
Reviews
Blowing My Cover
I've been interested in this book for a long time. This memoir takes us through the CIA training/career of C.O. Lindsay Moran. I was fascinated by all the crazy training and psychological games Moran goes through The Farm, the CIA training facility. It's pretty shocking how revealing Moran is. It doesn't seem to have been vetted or censored at all. I was less interested in the latter half of the book which deals with Moran's dissatisfaction with her first assignment turning low level gangsters in Macedonia and Bulgaria. The deglamorization of the spy profession goes on for a bit too long. In the end I found this to be just another mediocre memoir about someone's crazy life experience.
Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 1
Seeking something fun I decided to venture into the FF universe. Marvel likes to use the Ultimate Universe to reboot their main characters without the drag of continuity. I enjoyed this almost as much as Ultimate Spider-Man because I could jump right in fresh. It was fun to see a young Reed Richards show his genius. The art was also great, Kubert's Mole monster was great. Highly Enjoyable.
Five Fists of Science
This book was a huge disappointment. I picked it up because I had heard good things about it and it's creator Matt Fraction. Unfortunately this turned out to be a rip off of the League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Now Fraction is a fine writer and their are some funny lines but he's no Alan Moore. And the art is terrible. While I know this is from Image and independent, that's still no excuse. Some panels were so badly sketched that I couldn't tell what was going on. A mighty disappointment.
Scalped Vol. 2
This book continues to be incredible. Jason Aaron finds the good and bad in every character involved in this dark tragic world. In this volume Aaron works more fleshing out the world of "the Rez" and its side characters. I was particularly taken with the issue that focused on Catcher, a man who sees more than anyone knows. Why aren't you reading this series?
Astonishing X-Men Vol. 2
Another enjoyable time although a tad bit too metaphysical for my liking. Whedon is able to catch the angsty voice of these mutants. He is able to make this a book about characters rather than action. I really love how he stays true to each character and stays consistent in their interactions. Cyclops is the heroic leader, Emma Frost the femme fatale. In this volume we do get to see the relationship between Peter and Kitty which comes to a head in an issue of talking head panels. Their dialogue makes clear how these two desperately want to communicate but can't. The art is also consistently amazing which isn't surprising. Cassaday is my favorite X-Men artist. Unfortunately Whedon gets a bit strange here in the end, but he does set up an interesting twist.
Announcements & Shout Outs
I've mentioned that I spend time peddling/pushing books to the masses, well now they've set up a blog page and asked me to contribute. Finally they've posted some of my entries and you can find those here. There I'll be posting some longer reviews and some other free-association musings. So check it out and enjoy some of the other writers there too.
What's In My Bag
Books
In the Woods
Birdwatching
Comic
Kill All Parents
Magazine
Four Four Two
Comic Pull List: TBA
Check Out Count: Improving.
Enjoy your week folks! See you on the interwebs. Bookslave.
It's gotten a bit colder, summer is biting the dust. Labor Day has come and gone, no more wearing white according to Emily Post. What I do know though is that there will always be books! Onwards!
Reviews
Blowing My Cover
I've been interested in this book for a long time. This memoir takes us through the CIA training/career of C.O. Lindsay Moran. I was fascinated by all the crazy training and psychological games Moran goes through The Farm, the CIA training facility. It's pretty shocking how revealing Moran is. It doesn't seem to have been vetted or censored at all. I was less interested in the latter half of the book which deals with Moran's dissatisfaction with her first assignment turning low level gangsters in Macedonia and Bulgaria. The deglamorization of the spy profession goes on for a bit too long. In the end I found this to be just another mediocre memoir about someone's crazy life experience.
Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 1
Seeking something fun I decided to venture into the FF universe. Marvel likes to use the Ultimate Universe to reboot their main characters without the drag of continuity. I enjoyed this almost as much as Ultimate Spider-Man because I could jump right in fresh. It was fun to see a young Reed Richards show his genius. The art was also great, Kubert's Mole monster was great. Highly Enjoyable.
Five Fists of Science
This book was a huge disappointment. I picked it up because I had heard good things about it and it's creator Matt Fraction. Unfortunately this turned out to be a rip off of the League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Now Fraction is a fine writer and their are some funny lines but he's no Alan Moore. And the art is terrible. While I know this is from Image and independent, that's still no excuse. Some panels were so badly sketched that I couldn't tell what was going on. A mighty disappointment.
Scalped Vol. 2
This book continues to be incredible. Jason Aaron finds the good and bad in every character involved in this dark tragic world. In this volume Aaron works more fleshing out the world of "the Rez" and its side characters. I was particularly taken with the issue that focused on Catcher, a man who sees more than anyone knows. Why aren't you reading this series?
Astonishing X-Men Vol. 2
Another enjoyable time although a tad bit too metaphysical for my liking. Whedon is able to catch the angsty voice of these mutants. He is able to make this a book about characters rather than action. I really love how he stays true to each character and stays consistent in their interactions. Cyclops is the heroic leader, Emma Frost the femme fatale. In this volume we do get to see the relationship between Peter and Kitty which comes to a head in an issue of talking head panels. Their dialogue makes clear how these two desperately want to communicate but can't. The art is also consistently amazing which isn't surprising. Cassaday is my favorite X-Men artist. Unfortunately Whedon gets a bit strange here in the end, but he does set up an interesting twist.
Announcements & Shout Outs
I've mentioned that I spend time peddling/pushing books to the masses, well now they've set up a blog page and asked me to contribute. Finally they've posted some of my entries and you can find those here. There I'll be posting some longer reviews and some other free-association musings. So check it out and enjoy some of the other writers there too.
What's In My Bag
Books
In the Woods
Birdwatching
Comic
Kill All Parents
Magazine
Four Four Two
Comic Pull List: TBA
Check Out Count: Improving.
Enjoy your week folks! See you on the interwebs. Bookslave.
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