Television can occasionally be good for you.

Hello Blogosphere,
Tonight you get a short entry because it's late and I'se got some work to do tonight. For television watchers and award show junkies (like myself) tonight was the Emmy Awards. The show actually wasn't bad although I think 5 hosts was a bit much. I am an enormous fan of Tina Fey, 30 Rock, and Mad Men, so it all works out for me.

Well this isn't a TV blog, but there were some literary adaptations that won awards tonight. Now I enjoy lit adaptations. I talked about it here. The best of course can usually found on PBS which airs major Brit adaptations through Masterpiece Theater. This year Masterpiece has not disappointed and Emmy did through some recognition there way. The magnificent series Cranford, which is based on a series written by Elizabeth Gaskell, won an award tonight for supporting actress Dame Eileen Atkins. I found this series to be amazing and delightful and I will be checking out the books. I highly recommend it and here's a trailer to whet your appetites.



The other big winner tonight was an HBO series John Adams, which is based on the book by David McCullough. Again this was a great mini-series and really delivers. I think television is the perfect medium for shedding light on historical events and figures. At 7 hours the audience is allowed to see the complete picture of a man and his times. Bravo to writer Kirk Ellis, who won an Emmy for screenplay, for making history relevant and human. Here's a trailer for John Adams.



(BTW Total Tangent: After watching Adams I am convinced that Laura Linney is the perfect actress for a remake of Little House on the Prairie. Seriously think about it.)

Anyway both of these programs are available on DVD or they'll get rerun soon I'm sure. Check them out. It's much better than reality television.

Have an excellent week! Goodnight and Good Luck. Bookslave.

Beer vs. this blog entry

Hello gentle readers,
Late entry this week, but that's what happens when one chooses to drink beer and go to bed early. (Hey Don't you judge me!) Such things make sense when you miraculously have time off. So there! Anyway, let's see what I've got cooked up for you.

Reviews
Books
I've previously mentioned my love for Larry McMurtry, (you can read about it here) but I had no idea that he is a book seller. Being a bookseller myself I found this book about books to be fascinating. The man knows a great more than I do, so I learned quite a bit. However I'm afraid that unless you're a bibliophile this book may not catch your fancy. Short chapters make this a very short read. I also enjoyed the conversational tone of the work and self deprecating humor. The book world is full of some eccentric people and stories. I was also very happy to see the bookstore I work at in his list at the end. An enjoyable read for the bibliophilic heart.

Shout Out
In my last entry I discussed the tragic death of David Foster Wallace. There have been several great articles and video posts this week but here's a post that I thought was great. To read it click here.

What's in My Bag
Books
X Saves the World
Bel Canto

Magazine
Four Four Two

Comic
Dynamo 5 #16

Check Out Count: Back to Old Tricks.

Comic Pull List: Batgirl #3, Batman And The Outsiders #11, Captain Britain And Mi 13 #5, Echo #6, Trinity #16

Enjoy your week! Book Slave.

This is the end, This is the end.

Hello,
I am doing well. I had a working weekend, but it was great to catch up with some old friends. So it wasn't a complete loss.

Today we are going to get a little heavy and contemplative. I was checking the news online this morning when I learned about the death of David Foster Wallace. He had committed suicide on Friday night at age 46 leaving a wife and family. For a link to the article I read click here. Of course this is tragic news but it wasn't like I was a big fan of his work.

So you ask if I wasn't a big fan then how do I know this writer? Here's Some Background: As I've mentioned before, I work as a book seller. I remember when Wallace's debut novel Infinite Jest came out mainly because of it's size. If you haven't seen it, the book is massive. At 1000+ pages the book is tough to display on a shelf and intimidating to try reading. This is one of the main reasons that I have not tried it, although people have recommended it to me multiple times.

All the facts have not yet come to light so I'll try not to judge. Though I cannot help that I feel a certain amount of anger and disappointment when a writer/musician/artist chooses to take their own life. I admit that my feelings are motivated by selfishness because it means that there will be no new work. The door is shut, the machine closed down for the night so to speak.

Despite this I also try to understand that in order to reach that point emotionally a human being is beyond any rationality. The sense of despair must be immense. It's sad that no one saw the signs and tried to help David Foster Wallace. But I guess the same can be said for Kurt Cobain, Sylvia Plath, or Robert E. Howard, as well as many others. It's even harder when a family is left behind. I feel sorry for his kids.

In the end I guess perhaps there isn't much one can say. I think that this will finally motivate me to tackle one of his books, although I think it will be one of the shorter ones.

Well sorry about the morbidity this week. I hope you all have a great week.
Book Slave.

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.

Teach me Larry, I'm willing to learn...

Greetings and Salutations,
I hope y’all had an excellent weekend. My weekend has been pretty solitary. Sometimes things turn out that way. At least I will always have you, gentle reader, out there in cyber-land. You are out there right? Well I can only assume so. Onward with this month’s feature:

Lesson’s From Classic Lit: Lonesome Dove

First of all some background: As I’ve posted previously I read Lonesome Dove written by Larry McMurtry for the first time when I was 13. You can read about that here. I’ve read it a number of times since then, even read it aloud on a road trip once (to my family’s dismay, I’m sure). Dove is the tale of two old Texas Rangers Captain Woodrow Call and Captain Augustus McCrae who decide to leave their settled existence for one more adventure. Call and McCrae, as well as a whole group of characters, round up some cattle and drive them from Texas to Montana. Past and future collide as these two men see the end of the West as they know it. This book was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 and is McMurtry’s masterpiece.

Here are some lessons I learned from this great epic:
1. You are never too old for an adventure. Call and McCrae are in their 60s. And they are tough MFers.
2. Men are complicated. Thus begins my love/hate relationship with Woodrow Call. I love his stoicism and toughness. But why can't he tell his son that he loves him? Why do we always want the men we can't have.
3. Whores/Prostitutes have dreams too. I love Lorena and her dream of going to San Francisco. It's unbelievably tragic when she loses it all. Again.
4. A real woman knows when to say No. Even if it hurts. Clara is the most awesome independent strong woman. "She'll cut your throat quicker than a comanche," McCrae says. She's also smart enough to know that Augustus McCrae is not a man to settle down with.
5. Nice guys do win out, eventually. For examples I give you Dish Boggett and Sheriff July Johnson. Poor bastards.
6. A promise is a promise. Even if its crazy. The amazing bond between Call and McCrae is to be admired. These are honorable men all the way to the end.
7. If you are in over your head, get out. Get out now. I'm looking at you Jake Spoon.
8. It's wonderful to be saved. Augustus McCrae's single handed rescue abilities are breath-taking.
9. Some people are not meant to leave Texas. Some are meant for adventures, others are fine just where they are.
10. You can quilt pants. I had no idea. Thank you Joshua Deets.

There are many more. The book is over 1000 pages after all. And worth every word. If you haven't read it check it out. This is so much more than just a western.

Have a great beginning of fall! Book Slave.

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.

Yes, some poetry is nice

Hey folks,
Happy Labor Day! The book business waits for no holiday, so I of course will be laboring tomorrow. Think of me as you kick back hopefully with a good book or *shudder* your family. Anyway I was looking around those interwebs tonight and I found this poem that fit my mood. Yes, I like poetry. I'm shockingly multi-faceted.

So here it is. If you want to hear it aloud click here. Enjoy!

The Day is Done
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882)

The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.

I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o’er me
That my soul cannot resist:

A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.

Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day.

Not from the grand old masters,
Not from the bards sublime,
Whose distant footsteps echo
Through the corridors of Time.

For, like strains of martial music,
Their mighty thoughts suggest
Life’s endless toil and endeavor;
And to-night I long for rest.

Read from some humbler poet,
Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eyelids start;

Who, through long days of labor,
And nights devoid of ease,
Still heard in his soul the music
Of wonderful melodies.

Such songs have power to quiet
The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer.

Then read from the treasured volume
The poem of thy choice,
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
The beauty of thy voice.

And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.

Have a great day! Book Slave.

Rocky Mountain High

Hello,
It's convention time! Y'know what I love? CSPAN real time convention coverage and conventioneers dancing. Incredibly awesome. Anyway let's talk books. Onward!

Reviews
Brideshead Revisited
Is it possible to have everything and feel as if you have nothing? Charles Ryder meets Lord Sebastian Flyte at Oxford in 1922. Through his friendship with Sebastian, Ryder is thrust into the center of a life of immense privilege. Ultimately Ryder ends up questioning everything that he believes about truth and faith. I enjoyed this book immensely which I did not expect. I had not seen the famous tv series, or read any Waugh novels before. As I understand this book is very different from his more satirical works. There is comedy in here, Waugh does an excellent job of skewering the wealthy. I was shocked but not surprised by how the Marchmain's react toSebastian's behavior. Lady Marchmain is a well drawn character of someone who believes in molding and controlling her children's every move. Heaven forbid they be allowed to make their own mistakes and choose their own paths. I was also surprised by Waugh's serious discussions of Catholicism in the latter third of the book. Ryder's atheism and philosophy is very well paralleled by the Marchmain's stark Catholic belief. Each side is at a stalemate leaving the ending devastatingly inevitable.

Special Focus: Literary Adaptation
After I finished Brideshead Revisited I went and saw the new movie adaptation. I thought it was really good. In my opinion Emma Thompson can do no wrong and her portrayal of Lady Marchmain was excellent. This got me to thinking about literary adaptation on the big screen and small.

I think there is always a part of us that wants to see our favorite moments/characters/stories brought to life in front of us.
Some of us want to see exact duplications of what we've created in our heads. Or maybe a new spin on a classic tale. I also think there are books that I never want to see adapted such as Catcher in the Rye, On the Road, and The Crying of Lot 49. Stay Away Hollywood! Stay Away!

Having worked in the book business I am continuously reminded that movie adaptations can be helpful. It doesn't matter how many awards a book wins or it's critical esteem. If a movie is coming out then the masses will read the book. I guess if you make it, they will come. Even if the movie is a stinker, look at Memoirs of Geisha. I tell you we could not keep it on the shelf during Christmas 2005. And that movie was a disappointment.

I know it's obvious, but Books are words, movies are "moving pictures." They can't be exact or it wouldn't be a movie. There is a common perception that the movie is never as good as book.

Maybe that's correct but here's 5 movies and 5 television adaptations that I think are pretty darn good that I've seen and read (BTW these are in no particular order):
Movies
1. Bridget Jones's Diary
2. Lord of the Rings Trilogy
3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
4. English Patient
5. Fried Green Tomatoes

Television
1. Lonesome Dove
2. Anne of Green Gables
3. Band of Brothers
4. Pride and Prejudice (1994)
5. Fingersmith

Now I could go on. I think that there have been a lot of great adaptations. I think it all depends on what your expectations are. One of my favorite stories comes from Dashiell Hammett. He and a friend were sitting and talking. His friend asked Hammett whether he was afraid that Hollywood would take away his story and change it into something different. Hammett said that as long as the book is on the shelve that no one can take it away. Amen, Dash, you speak the truth.

What's In my Bag
Magazine
Four Four Two

Books
Blowing My Cover
In the Woods

Comic
Time Master

Comic Pull List: Catwoman #82, Daredevil #110, New Avengers #44, Runaways 3 #1, Superman #679, Trinity #13, Wolverine #68

Check Out Count: Getting Under Control.

Enjoy the convention and a three day weekend baby! Have a good one! Book Slave.

Important Bulletin

Hey There cyberspace,
Today I thought I throw a little personal insight for you. The picture below is of my bulletin board. It hangs next to my desk in my little apartment. Over time it has accumulated alot. It's multilayered. Lest you think that this is non-literary I've got some literary markers in there. Look for a little explanation below.
Enjoy!


In the upper left hand corner is an insert taken from a horrible exhibit on James Joyce. The booklet was the best part.

Underneath that is an ad card from the wonderful film Tristan Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story. Highly recommend.

The flower right next to George W. is a print that was given to me by a poet named Hector.

Nearby is my English BA tassel hanging. One of the rare tangible gains of that degree.

At the center is Walt Whitman. I am always struck by the look in his eyes.

Below him you'll see the number 52. 52 just happens to be one of my favorite comic series. I got this Wait List # at Sundance completely by chance.

Lower right corner is Allen Ginsberg. I like this picture of him in silhouette. Much like a poet.

Have a great week! Book Slave.

Blather and Apologies

Hey folks,
How are you? Doing well? I hope so. It's been an active week y'know. Some things had to be moved around. The world had to shift a little. I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm still working on the adjustments. What I'm trying to say kids is that it's gonna be a short entry tonight. No reviews this week. I'm still working through my reading list.

I do wonder, though, why some lit takes longer to read than others.
Obvious reasons:
1. The Book is terrible. It's well nigh impossible for me to quickly read a book that is poorly written. In this case the only thing that will motivate me is an outside force like school or a manager.

2. Book is written in a difficult style. Works like Faulkner fit into this category. Or Middle English. Tough stuff.

3. Unreliable narrator. There are exceptions here, of course, but in general I don't want to be thrown for a loop. IMO an author has to earn the ability to fool me. Fight Club IMO earned it's big change up.

4. When people do not act how normal people act. It's hard for me to tolerate when characters don't talk or act like the do in the real world. This makes it hard for me to tolerate romance novels.

5. Don't foist your ideologies on me in my fiction. Whether it be communism, the big J.C., or capitalism I don't want to read it. I'm looking at you Ayn Rand.

I could go on and on. But man when you're not connecting with a book it's hard. I will give up eventually, but sometimes it's like biting a bullet.

What's In My Bag
Books
Brideshead Revisited
Blowing My Cover

Magazine
Four Four Two

Comic
Secret Invasion #5

Comics Pull List: Batgirl #2, Batman And The Outsiders #10, Trinity #12

Check Out Count: Diverse.

Apologies, I swear next week I'll be better. Until then I will remain, Book Slave.

Cowboys, Gangsters, and that Anne Girl

Hello,
Hope you all had an excellent weekend! Mine was pretty active. Happy B-day to my younger brother. I hope he enjoys strange books from his older sis. Today I give you another installment of our monthly series:

Life Changing Reads
Kick back as I give you a little autobiography.

1. Lonesome Dove
I had heard of the famous mini-series on TV but when it aired I was too young to follow it. So my first exposure to Larry McMurtry occurred by accident. Occasionally if I felt like it I would spend Saturdays hanging out at my mom's library in Bountiful. I could basically do whatever I wanted all day as long as I didn't get in trouble. Or bug my mom while she was working. I was wandering through the paperbacks and there it was. It was a thick book (over a thousand pages!) but I had heard that it was a classic western. I was into outlaws/gunslingers at the time so I thought I'd give it a shot. I grabbed it and read it in the breakroom for the rest of the day. I begged my mom to check it out for me, which she did. The rest is history. I went on to read Lonesome Dove a couple of times and many other McMurtry novels beside.

2. Billy Bathgate
After I had seen a couple of movies such as Untouchables, Mobsters, and The Godfather I became obsessed with gangsters. I even dressed like a 20s gangster for Halloween with suit, fedora, and fake gun. The school didn't really appreciate the gun. Anyway because of my reading up on the subject I had heard of gangster Dutch Schulz. This led me to Billy Bathgate. I picked up a copy at the Sprague library. It was a hard cover with a kid juggling on the front. I sat down and started reading. Three hours went by and I didn't even know it. I really connected with the lead character and his luck/ability to keep his head above water.

3. Anne of Green Gables series
As a tween girl I was never into Little House on the Prairie or Judy Blume. I was an "Anne" girl. Yes I responded to a book with a red-headed protagonist with a strong imagination. Anne Shirley has a big mouth, fanciful dreams, and a love of literature. She wants to become a writer. I became obsessed with reading this entire series. I picked them up one after another all summer long from the library. I believe Anne's House of Dreams was read while camping. Nature could not compete with Anne's need to find the perfect curtains for her first house with Gilbert!

Have a good week! Book Slave.

Animal Music

Hello,
Sorry for the lateness of the hour. Blame the Olympics. I had to know how the gymnastics and swimming would turn out. Well Onwards!

Reviews
Animal Man Vol. 1
I had to pick this up after I all the praise I had heard for this series. Grant Morrison can sometimes be crazy and weird, but I found this series to be very funny. This story centers around Buddy Baker aka Animal Man and his return to super heroics. He emerges as an animal rights advocate giving him the ability to focus his career. Often Morrison adds a lot of metatextual, as well as goofy likeability to Animal Man's adventures. I especially enjoyed the Coyote issue, as well as his issue with Martian Manhunter. Good read.

Love is a Mix tape
Rob Sheffield, a rock music writer for Rolling Stone and Spin, has written a heartfelt memoir/elegy/tribute that sometimes made my heart hurt. He frames his memoir around the music that reminds him of key events in his life. As someone who also likes to surround herself with music I could easily understand this correlation of music and memory. IMHO the most affecting chapters were his discussion of his marriage and tragic loss. Using music to cope with grief Sheffield is not afraid to show honest emotion on the page. Highly reccomend.

Reading List
Books
Notes on a Life
Blowing My Cover

Comic
Batman and the Outsiders

Magazine
Four Four Two

Check Out Count: Improving

Comic Pull List: Batman #679, Captain Britain And Mi 13 #4, Goon #27, Green Arrow Black Canary #11, Secret Invasion #5, Secret Invasion Runaways Young Avengers #2,
Trinity #11.

Go Team USA! Bookslave.

Some Daily Orwell

Hello,
How are you all? I'm taking a break from the Olympics 2008 to drop you a line. Seriously I think this guy Michael Phelps is a mutant or the long lost son of Aquaman. Have you seen this guy? Anyway back to books. Here's a fascinating new project that I wanted to highlight for y'all.

Special Focus: The Orwell Diaries

I was listening to NPR today and they had a fascinating story about a new project online. A group of folks over at the The Orwell Prize, Britain’s pre-eminent prize for political writing, is publishing George Orwell’s diaries as a blog. From 9th August 2008, Orwell’s domestic and political diaries (from 9th August 1938 until October 1942) will be posted in real-time, exactly 70 years after the entries were written.

Orwell’s ‘domestic’ diaries begin on 9th August 1938/2008; his ‘political’ diaries (which are further categorized as ‘Morocco’, ‘Pre-war’ and ‘Wartime’) begin on 7th September 1938/2008. The diaries are exactly as Orwell wrote them.

As a major fan of George Orwell I found this idea very interesting. While I understand that some entries will be banal and mundane, I also look forward to this look into the man's daily thoughts. It's like being able to reach back 70 years. And if you think about it this is before he wrote his classic 1984. I hope we get to see some early writings that show his intense socio-political mindset.

If this project proves to be successful I wonder if there are some other authors they might do. Here's a list of famous diarists that I'd like to see:

1. Sylvia Plath-Her journals are already available but I would like to see if I can gain any insight into her psychological mindset.

2. Queen Victoria-She kept a diary religiously for over 70 years. A lot of material there.

3. Anais Nin-Hot stuff I'm sure.

4. Dorothy Wordsworth

5. Bloomsbury Group-A collection of different writers could be fun.

Have a great week! Book Slave.

The Good and the Bad

Hello readers,
I hope you enjoyed the last entry. I want to make these a habit. Of course if you want to know the moment that I post, I urge you all to subscribe. It will make your life easier. Really. Okay enough plugging myself, onward!

Reviews
Starman Omnibus Vol. 1
Boy did I love this book. I had to force myself to slow down because I never wanted it to end. This series was written by James Robinson, who is currently writing Superman, beginning in 1994. The series centers around Jack Knight who is forced into becoming Starman, protector of Opal City, after the murder of his brother David. David had taken up the superhero mantle from their father Ted, who is the retired Starman. The twist here is that Jack doesn't really want to be Starman. Robinson expertly portrays the emotional conflict between father and son. It isn't what they say to each other it is what they don't say. Tony Harris art is also amazing. I love the way that he portrays the Mist. I also love the use of black and white and color in the issue where Jack talks to a ghostly David. Check this out.

Ultimates Vol. 1
While entertaining I found that this series fell apart in the end. In this series Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, and Nick Fury team together to try to develop a super team like the Avengers. I enjoyed the beginning which focused on Captain America in WW2 and then when he's reinstated in the modern world. There was a poignancy between Cap and his displacement in 90s America. Millar seeks to bring the entire Marvel universe into the modern world, and I get that. But the pop cuture references are horribly dated. This slowly kills the middle half as the world starts piling onto Bruce Banner like he's Peter Parker. It doesn't work and then the ending gets lost in melodrama.

What's In My Bag
Graphic Novel
Animal Man Vol. 1

Book
Love is a Mix Tape

Comic
Pax Romana

Magazine
Four Four Two

Comic Pull List:Buffy The Vampire Slayer #17, Criminal 2 #4, Detective Comics #847, Final Crisis #3, Nightwing #147, Robin #176, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season 2 #1, Terry Moores Echo #5, Tor #4, Trinity #10

Check Out Count: Absurd.

Enjoy your week folks. Book Slave.

Teach me Jane, I'm willing to learn...

Hey World Out There,
How lucky are you? Yes, an extra entry this week. I am introducing a new feature:

Lessons I’ve Learned From Classic Lit: Jane Austen


1. Beware those who speak cleverly. Whether it’s Wickam, Willoughby, or Mr. Elton watch out for men who are dangerously attractive. Let’s not forget the Crawfords as well. Austen throughout her 6 books continuously drills this point home.

2. Sisters are important. Of course in her own life Austen depended upon her sister Cassandra and one can’t help but see parallels between two different sets in her books. The relationship between the sisters Dashwood and Bennett play this out. Both sisters are opposites of each other whether it is sense/sensibility or intellect/beauty. They may disagree with each other from time to time, but when a sister is under attack the other sister is there to defend her.

3. Beware mothers who are focused on wealthy marriages rather than happiness. Mrs. Bennett, Mrs, Farrers, Lady Bertram, Enough said.

4. Watch out for false friends who seem to have your best interests at heart. Throughout all six books the main protagonists have their happiness thwarted by their supposed best friend. Cheekily in Emma the false friend is the main character making it a change up in formula. Be paranoid of your friends folks.

5. Marry for love and happiness, not wealth. This is obvious to us today but back in her day marriage meant security. Without marriage you could end up dying penniless in a cottage with your mom and sister. Considering her own personal situation I find it astounding that her books are relentlessly optimistic.

6. True love takes time to develop. Throughout her books, especially in Persuasion, Austen implies that loving relationships require a certain amount of maturity. Elizabeth Bennett has to turn down Mr. Darcy when she does because they are both not ready. In Persuasion, Anne Eliot and Captain Wentworth prove that love may require a long wait.

Well there’s a few, I know there are many more. Jane Austen managed to cram an immense amount of life into 6 books. I’ve never read Lady Susan or Sanditon because I don’t like reading books not finished by the original author. Hence they are not included her. In the future I’ll feature some more eclectic authors, but I thought I’d start with something easy.

Have a great week. Book Slave.

X-Men and Relevancy

Hello multi-verse,
Apologies for the late post. Sometimes the internet is not on your side. This weekend has been full of holiday/Comic con goodness. So let's get on with it eh?

Reviews
X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills
I had heard that this is considered one of the definitive X-Men stories from the Comic Book Queers. In fact this story was so big at the time that Marvel put it out as an individual graphic novel rather than as part of the regular book. This is common now but back in the early 80s it was unheard of. It's been a little difficult for me to track down but I'm so glad I got to read it in this beautiful hard cover edition. The art is great and there are some striking images. This story involves a group led by Rev. Stryker called the Purifiers. Using christian fundamentalism, the Purifiers are hunting down and killing Mutants in cold blood, meanwhile using the media to push their anti-mutant agenda. I was ready to be impressed but the first few pages took my breath away. Claremont does an amazing job of bringing home how Stryker twists religion to suit his own prejudices. The key themes of the X-Men book plays out in this story and I loved it. Anyone who argues that superhero comics are just for kids needs to read this.

Downsize This!
I picked this up back in 2002 when Moore-mania was just gearing up. Shockingly its been sitting on the TBR pile for about 6 years now. It's actually very interesting to read this with 10 years of hindsight. In this book Moore discusses the concerns of a pre-911 world: OJ Simpson, corporate downsizing, and immigration. Reading this book I constantly struggled to find relevancy. This book did not age well. I also think that it is clear that Moore is not a writer of any subtlety or complexity. In this current world I think he is more suited to be a blog/column writer and taken in small bites.

Shoutout
I don't usually do this here but I felt compelled to share this excellent writeup. It changed my perspective on the importance of the romance genre. Check it out here.

What's In My Bag
Graphic Novels
Starman Omnibus Vol. 1
Animal Man Vol. 1

Comic
The Goon

Magazine
Vanity Fair

Comic Pull List:Dynamo 5 #15, Green Lantern #33, Jokers Asylum Two Face #1, Trinity #9, Wolverine #67.

Check Out Count: A lot of coveted books.

Have a great week! Book Slave

Merry Madwoman of Marvel

Hello true believers,
The unending scorching days of summer continue. There's no end in sight! I find myself hanging out in libraries, coffee shops, and books stores not just to be surrounded by books, but to soak up the A.C. Alas it's been hard to finish a great many books. I've noticed that my reading has definitely slowed. Is there a difference between summer and winter here? Is that it? Perhaps so. Well hopefully anyone reading out there can empathize here. Or maybe I need to be slapped around. We'll see.
Either way Onward!

Reviews
Essential Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1
This volume collects the first 20 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man. One of the first major hit series for Marvel these comics established what is known as "the marvel style." I enjoyed a lot of things about these issues: the villains, art, and action. However I still found the style very difficult to deal with. Every damn panel has a word balloon, and there are never less than 5 panels per page. That silver age style of writing is really hard to slog through and I will admit to skimming. What I found the most enjoyable was how the voice of author Stan Lee so often came through on the page. Here's an example:

"Know Something Little Friend? If you're just starting to read this story, we envy you! Because you're gonna have a ball!"

Yes it's heavy on the exclamation points but it really made me excited to find out what would happen. There's a lot of self deprecating humor. I love it when they call themselves the "Merry Madmen of Marvel." I also have to say that I really enjoy how the stories are a mix of the fantastic and the mundane. We see Peter Parker fighting Doc Octopus and worrying about where the money for Aunt May's medicine is gonna come from. Spider-Man is a super hero and an everyday teen.
Here's a clip of Stan Lee explaining this mixture:


So for classic comic reading I found it pretty fun. Although I will say that the dated style is difficult. Perhaps those looking for a re-telling of this should look to the Ultimate Spider-Man series which I enjoyed.

What's In My Bag
Books
Downsize This!
Uncanny X-Men: God Loves Man Kills

Comic
Secret Invasion #4

Magazine
Film Comment

Comic Pull List: Daredevil #109, Jokers Asylum Scarecrow #1, New Avengers #43, Superman #678, Trinity #8, Uncanny X-Men #500
Check Out Count: Diversifying.

Well have an excellent week! Book Slave.

The Difficulty of Sucking it Up

Hello Out There!
How are you? I am doing well. For the first time in awhile I really feel on top of things. Don't get me wrong things aren't perfect but this weekend there's a lot to look forward to. Batman The Dark Knight is coming out! However reading-wise I fear I've taken on a bit more than I can chew. I trudge on though. Due to this fact there'll be no reviews tonight but I do want to discuss a reading dilemma.

Special Focus: Reading Outside the Comfort Zone
As I've mentioned when I'm not fighting crime, I can be found selling/pushing books. This week my boss wanted us to pull together a set of goals for the next year. When it came to Reader's Advisory I set myself the challenge to read some books outside of my comfort zone. There are certain genres that I just can't get into. I'm not a snob, I say to each their own. There's great and terrible books in all genres. All I ask is that a writer take me along a journey that I can lose myself in. When I crack open a book I am willing to give it all the chance to win me over. However I think it's very easy for me to coast along.

To be the best librarian/book seller that I want to be I think that these are the genres I need to tackle:

1. Romance Novels- (Sigh) I've tried, really I've tried. All I ask is for plausible characters acting in adult ways. I don't think it's that much really.

2. Science Fiction-I just have never been able to pick it up. Don't have a problem with superheroes, but I have trouble with the cosmic.

3. Young Adult Coming of Age Male-Do I really have to explain why I can't relate?

4. Christian/LDS/Clean Literature-Don't have a problem with J.C. Just don't hit me over the head with it eh?

5. Books that were originally published in a foreign language-Being a dumb American, I never learned a foreign language. (For my BA degree I learned ASL, which I've somewhat forgotten) So I am always concerned that I'm missing out by being not able to read a book in it's original language. Sure it's translated, but is it really the same? I'm never really sure.

So in the upcoming year I'm going to have to suck it up and tackle some of these. I want to be the most effective person I can be at my job. We'll have to see how I do.

What's In My Bag
Books
Downsize This!
Essential Spider-Man Vol. 1

Comics
Dark Tower: End of the World Almanac

Magazine
Filmcomment

Comic Pull List:Batgirl #1, Batman And The Outsiders #9, Jokers Asylum Poison Ivy #1, Trinity #7, War Is Hell First Flight Phantom Eagle Max #5

Check Out Count: Getting better.

Have a great week! I may post an entry later this week with some reviews. Let's see how it goes. Until then, Bookslave.

What a country!

Hello cyber-world,
I hope you all had a good weekend. I know that I did. It turned out to be more active than I thought it would be. While being active is good, it also means I wasn't able to read as much as I had hoped. Oh well. The road to hell can be paved with good intentions. Well Onward we go!

Review
Assassination Vacation
One of my many interests is American History (yeah folks there's more to me than comic books, who knew?). Although there has been only 200 years or so of the American experiment I think that there has been several interesting undercurrents/events. Author Sarah Vowell mixes her own quirky voice with an examination of the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. Her travel tour of various sites throughout the country is morbidly fun. I found myself laughing at several of her own personal misadventures, like traveling by speedboat in Florida or visiting the Mutter Museum of Medical Curiosities.

Vowell spends about half the book on the Lincoln Assassination and who can blame her. Her attention to all angles is to be commended considering she is not a historian. She not only covers the assassinations themselves but the overall effects that these events had on all those involved. I particularly found fascinating her discussion of the life of Edwin Booth who lived for almost 30 years after his brother John. Her turns on the deaths of Garfield and McKinley are not nearly as comprehensive. However since I didn't know much about these presidents everything was interesting. Vowell shrewdly fills the latter chapters with characters like Emma Goldman and Teddy Roosevelt. Whereas Garfield and McKinley were not given the chance to do anything as presidents their deaths did have meaning. Garfield's death led into the gilded age, which consumed the 1880s and 90s; McKinley gave way to Teddy Roosevelt, one of the most energetic/adventurous presidents in American history.

I liked the fact that Vowell focuses on history rather than babble on about some search for meaning. (I looking at you Elizabeth Gilbert) By sprinkling funny/touching/ironic moments sparingly Vowell avoids self-indulgence. Her dorky interest in morbid historical sites is endearing rather than strange. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an interesting twist on American History.

What's In My Bag
Books
Downsize This!
Essential Spider-Man Vol. 1

Comic
Echo #2

Magazine
Wizard

Comic Pull List: Captain Britain And Mi 13 #3, Detective Comics #846, Goon #26, Green Arrow Black Canary #10, I Kill Giants #1, Jokers Asylum The Penguin #1, Powers #29, Secret Invasion #4, Trinity #6, Wonder Woman #22

Check Out Count: A good mix.

Well, I hope you all have an excellent week. I'll try not to die in a pool of my own sweat. Yours, Book Slave.

Hot, Sweaty, and Tired

Hello folks,
Welcome to living on the sun. Seriously it's hot folks. You could fry an egg on my forehead. To me at the moment the best time of day is the golden hour. I've loved taking a walk around my somewhat eclectic neighborhood to cool down before sunset. Love it! Well admittedly this week's reading has been pretty thin. I've had other writing to work on this weekend (Yes, I do writing other than this, my constant readers), so I've decided to include a little autobiography as well.
So Onward to Breach!

Reviews
Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1
I've decided to dive into more Bendis work after enjoying his work on Secret Invasion/New Avengers. Here we essentially have the Spiderman Origin story, which is very well known by now. I enjoyed the fact that they did write/draw Peter as a 15 year old kid. Watching him go through classic teen angst this book reminded me of a John Hughes movie. I think this is written for teenage boys and fanboys/girls. As someone who hasn't followed the comics for 20 years this was a good introduction.

Middleman Vol. 1
This book is humorous comic fun. The story follows Wendy, an struggling artist, who stumbles into joining a "Men In Black"-style organization and teaming up with a guy who is the classic version of a "dirk square jaw". He just calls himself "The Middleman" and wears a leather jacket while carrying an insanely large gun. All this plot is not the best thing about this book. Javier Grillo-Marxuach's is clearly hilarious because I loved all the jokes and satire throughout this trade. Little touches like Wendy's interactions with her stoner neighbor were just so random and cracked me up. Enjoyed it immensely. Plus there's gangster killer apes!

Life Changing Reads
Kick back as we walk down memory lane.
1. To Kill A Mockingbird
I had seen an old paperback copy of this on the top of our book case for a long time. It was the summer before 7th grade and I had a lot of time on my hands. Even at that age I had heard of the book and the movie, but hadn't picked up either. The cover was simple and the pages were yellowed. I decided that now was the time to pick it up. I read it in about 5 days and loved it immediately. Of course I was struck by the friendship between Jem, Scout and Dell and there adventures. Ultimately though it was the character of Atticus Finch that had the most effect on me. He was the father that everyone wished they had. I still get choked up as I think about the balcony scene.

2. Catcher and the Rye
Picked this up relatively later then a lot of people. I was 18 and I had gotten a gift card for christmas for a multi-media store that no longer exists. It's name escapes me at the moment. Anyway I had picked up some CDs and Videos, but I had about 10 bucks left on the gift card. With the prospect of losing out on $10, which was too little for any good CD or Video, I turned to the puny token book section. What to get? My eyes settled on a $6 buck paperback copy. It had the classic white cover with the rainbow stripe. I finished reading it in 2 days. As I read the final scene between Holden and his little sister on the merry-go-round I found myself tearing up. To me this book is not all about teen rebellion. There is a deeper subtext that strikes me every time I pick it up. Holden Caulfield is looking for unconditional love. Aren't we all?

3. Less Than Zero
First of all let me explain. Before I even had any sense what Brett Easton Ellis was all about he already had a bad reputation in our household. My mom, a librarian, was forced to read American Psycho because of a patron complaint. She hated it in every core of her body. In high school one of my friends Linda read and loved Less Than Zero I avoided it like the plague. Fast forward a few years: I was in a wonderful exchange book store in Sugarhouse and there it was-a paperback copy of Zero. Not any copy though. This one had Robert Downey Jr, Andrew McCarthey, and Jami Gertz staring back at me. It was the movie cover. I had to have it. However I held onto it for awhile without reading it. When I finally picked it up I couldn't believe what I read. I was captured by this story in that "read it till 3 am even though I need to sleep" way.

What's In My Bag
Books
Assassination Vacation
Essential Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1

Comics
Dynamo 5 #13

Magazine
Entertainment Weekly

Check Out Count: Diversifying.

Well kids it's a holiday weekend. 2 days off! It's gonna be awesome and far too quick. Have some fun! Celebrate our country. Throw some prayers to those fighting/dying overseas. Their sacrifice is beyond politics. I think I'll find some way this holiday to take a look over that old "Declaration" of ours. Have a great weekend! Book Slave.