Category Archives: Books

À la Nick Hornby, books in/books out for July.

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Bought:

  • Peeps, by Scott Westerberg
  • Uglies, by Scott Westerberg
  • Finding Battlestar Galactica, by Lynnette Porter, David Lavery, and HIllary Robson
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy, ed. by James B. South
  • Undead TV: Essays on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ed. by Elana Levine and Lisa Parks
  • Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Knowledge Here Begins Out There, ed. by Jason T. Eberl
  • Stories of Your Life and Others, by Ted Chiang

Read:

  • Trespass, by Valerie Martin
  • Absurdistan, by Gary Shteyngart
  • Finding Battlestar Galactica, ed. by Lynette Porter, David Lavery, and Hillary Robson
  • Peeps, by Scott Westerfeld

I spent a significant part of the month reading two other books (The New Grant Book of the American Short Story, ed. by Richard Ford; and Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy, ed by Jason Eberl), but since I haven’t finished them, they’ll have to wait for August’s list…

À la Super Eggplant, currently, I am…

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Eating: Not much. But drinking buttfuckingloads of caffeine (bad bad (and as a result) red-faced girl!). Caffeine + Rosacea = not so attractive.

Making: A blurb book from a select few of my Japan photos. Woot.

Reading: Still reading Dad’s and my challenge book for the month, “The New Granta Book of the American Short Story” edited by Richard Ford, when I’m at home. And reading “Finding Battlestar Galactica: the Ultimate Unauthorized Fan’s Guide” ed. by Lynette Porter, David Lavery & Hillary Robson on the El. [same as last week except FYI neither me nor Dad is going to finish this month’s challenge during this month. Whoops!] whoops, wrong BStarG book, actually reading Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Knowledge Here Begins Out There, ed. by Jason T. Eberl. Although it is true, neither Dad nor I is going to finish our challenge book this month (we’ll move on to our August book and hope we have time later in the month to go back and finish the July one).

Watching: Generation Kill. Love. Still carrying around the first disc of Band of Brothers for no reason since I’ve pretty much decided I won’t start it until Generation Kill is over so I don’t get confused about which war I’m in. Have been to The Dark Knight twice so far. Swoon.

Listening to: Earlimart “Hymn & Her”. a) it is an awesome album and b) they are awesome live, super nice and sweet. Also a lot of random singles.

À la Super Eggplant, currently, I am…

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Eating: Like there’s no tomorrow. Seriously, people. On Friday, I must have been afraid there’d be a run on meat overnight because not only did I have a 900-calorie Chicken Poblano Fresco sandwich for lunch, but then I had BOTH a Brat AND a 2-lb. Hamburger at dinner. Along with 4? 5? Kirs. And as I’m sure you can imagine, I ate even grosser than that at Pitchfork all weekend. What is wrong with me?

Making: Technically nothing, last two days have been complete fucking hell on wheels at the secondary browsing location. But Jenn did rewrite the sleevecaps for me on the pattern I’m stuck on (ravelry link) so soon I will be working on that. Soon. Supposedly.

Reading: Still reading Dad’s and my challenge book for the month, “The New Granta Book of the American Short Story” edited by Richard Ford, when I’m at home. And reading “Finding Battlestar Galactica: the Ultimate Unauthorized Fan’s Guide” ed. by Lynette Porter, David Lavery & Hillary Robson on the El.

Watching: The Cleaner , a show that apparently I am the only person on earth to like. Have you read the reviews? Because they’re BAD. But I like it! Also The Closer, which I am enjoying but not as much; Saving Grace, which I am NOT enjoying at all; Burn Notice, which I am enjoying primarily when Tricia Helfer is on screen (she is sooo different than her BStarG character, and yet has some of the same powerful characteristics. It’s kinda awesome); and Generation Kill, which I am LOVING but am *ahem* only 15 minutes into the first episode. Slacker! And I’ve already watched Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog three times (all 3 eps) with many more repeat viewings to follow, I’m sure. As for the Big Screen, I loved both Wanted and The Dark Knight and frankly I’d like to see them both a second time over the weekend. We shall see.

Listening: to Nana Grizol “Love It Love It” which I bought after reading about them (a bunch of times) on this blog. It is a LOT of fun. And the Sea Wolf song “Neutral Ground” over and over after this morning’s El contretemps.

À la Super Eggplant, currently, I am…

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Eating: My weight in brownies from Jamie. Yum.

Making: Secret.Family.Craft.Project.

Reading: Still reading the same two books as last week: 1) at home: Dad’s and my challenge book for the month, “The New Granta Book of the American Short Story” edited by Richard Ford, and 2) in transit: “Absurdistan” by Gary Shteyngart . Close to finishing #2, which has been a hilarious ride so far, and definitely spending some time gazing at the bookshelves, pondering what’s on deck.

Watching: Summer TV kickoffs of Burn Notice, The Cleaner, The Closer, Saving Grace and the wonderful, truly awesome, so enjoyable Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. (I had more to say ova heah.) Also rewatching lots of old favorites. As well as (re)watching BSG season 4 so far. Wanting to see Wanted again…Sooooo good. (So good that I haven’t written it up? Slacker!)

Listening: Mostly to SModcasts. About five in the past four days or so? As my Dad says, “those two make great traveling companions.” Also (re)listening to the latest albums from Madonna, Gnarls Barkley, Coldplay, Meg Hutchinson and Missy Higgins. All as accompaniment to Secret.Family.Crafting. I have a bunch of new stuff I haven’t listened to yet. And there’s Pitchfork (with the Nipper! YAY! NIPPER VISIT!) over the weekend. So we’ll see.

À la Super Eggplant, currently, I am…

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Eating: Better than last week. So far. Lots of bananas. Monkey-loving girls can never have too many bananas.

Making: This week? Absofuckinglutely nothing. Maybe over the weekend.

Reading: Dad’s and my challenge book for the month, “The New Granta Book of the American Short Story” edited by Richard Ford, a behemoth of a collection, way too heavy to read in transit. I didn’t think the first three or so were very good choices, but after that it really picked up and now I can’t put it down. I mean when I’m at home, sitting down, with the book resting on a pillow or table, THEN I can’t put it down. So since I’m not carrying that fucker around, on the El I’m reading “Absurdistan” by Gary Shteyngart which is really hilarious. Solidly in the “Confederacy of Dunces” tradition. I am picturing the main character as a (much) fatter Kevin Smith. If you listen to SModcasts and then read this book, I think you’ll see why.

Watching: Almost nothing. (I mean BSG every night but at this point, does that even count?) I’m supposedly going to start watching Band of Brothers (CCB, can you guess why????). But I’ve been carrying around disc one for a couple days now and haven’t managed to pop it in yet.

Listening: The new Beck “Modern Guilt” (good!), the awesome mix I just made per Juno’s request, another new Joseph Arthur EP “Vagabond Skies” (Love.It.), the most talked about rap album of the year Lil Wayne “Tha Carter III” (fun!), and still listening to Fleet Foxes , Sea Wolf and Matt Costa a lot as well. Plus today I am listening to “Nightswimming” from an old, old beloved album (R.E.M. “Automatic for the People”) after a eulogy in the April issue of Paste brought it to mind.

Is this true?

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Psychologists figured that the memory center was located in the left brain, and the imagination engine in the right brain. Therefore people unconsciously glanced to the left when they were remembering things, and to the right when they were making stuff up. When they were lying. This girl was glancing right so much she was in danger of getting whiplash.
-Lee Child “Nothing to Lose”

Mystery: “Nothing to Lose” by Lee Child

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The latest Jack Reacher. You know how I feel about Jack Reacher.

I liked the little bits of the mystery that made this very modern day / the connections to the current global conflict. Definitely enjoyed it overall. Another solid addition to the series.

But I wasn’t loving the (yet another) dead-end relationship and I thought the way they made the relationship “connect” to the main mystery (the husband) was a bit contrived. Also, hello, there is no way a smart guy like Reacher takes THAT LONG to figure out what’s going on with the husband. Come on.

Dads will always set you straight. HA!

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In a story, where an environmentally aware son (not young, but still a son) is “borrowing” his dad’s welding equipment to weld shut the pipes of a company dumping into a waterway.

‘They’re pouring emission straight into the water down there, from two pipes hanging out over the bank.’

He tests the chisel, nodding slowly as he works out what I want his welding gear for. ‘They’re pouring human shit straight into the ocean, too,’ he says, pinning me with a glance, ‘but I haven’t noticed you welding your arse shut.’

-Cate Kennedy “Direct Action” (collected in “Dark Roots”)

Short Stories: “Dark Roots” by Cate Kennedy

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Very intense little stories. Succinct but centered around the moment of conflict. Very in medias res. People caught by surprise, sometimes by their own actions. Questioning themselves, questioning you, what would you do. People in unconventional situations. All different points of view: men, women, old, young.

Really good. (And very fast read. BIG print, less than 200 pgs.)

I must not have read the blurb beforehand though because I was somewhere in the middle when I thought “This girl MUST be Australian.” Yeah, dork, says so right on the back cover. Doh.