Here's the challenge: commit to reading 50 books and watching 50 movies in the next year! (Find out more...)

Here's the challenge: commit to reading 50 books and watching 50 movies in the next year! (Find out more...)
The good news is, there are no real rules. We do have a few suggestion though! (Find out more...)
Doing things together is the best isn't it? Come sign up with us and then we can cheer each other on! (Find out more...)
You can win the power of self edification. You can win bragging rights. You can win over your soul mate! Or you could just not win anything. (Find out more...)
Kick the challenge up a notch by picking a themed major and minor for your movies and books. Can we suggest a few? (Find out more...)
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Sculpture by Su Blackwell |
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Illustration by Nan Lawson |
I can list on one hand the number of books that have left me breathless and in tears. The most recent is Cheryl Strayed's Tiny Beautiful Things, a compilation from her Dear Sugar column. I had seen the book around, but didn't think much of it. From the cover I thought it might be a shallow dating column from some women's magazine that was already full of enough junk advice that I didn't need more. How mistaken I was.
I opened Tiny Beautiful Things a couple of days ago and entered a world in which people write in to confess and and try to make sense of their sins, or their deepest fears and insecurities, or their latest personal tragedy, with a complete stranger who responds each and every time with a logic, compassion, and a tapestry of words so beautiful that I found myself literally breathless.
Although she could have just doled out some smartly-written advice, the brilliance in the column is in how far she goes into the trenches with her readers. She scrapes up the very personal memories and stories, the lessons and experiences we, as strangers, have absolutely no right to access, and lays them before us, like a most patient teacher, so that we may learn something. She doesn't flinch as she offers up her scars, so we can run a finger along them, perhaps even recoil, before looking again. Closely.
While I have been reading Tiny Beautiful Things I have been consumed by the themes, the plot lines of the letters, and the stories Strayed used to convey her ultimate advice. Consumed, I tell you. I hadn't even finished the book before I'd bought a few copies to fire off to friends, and as I read I kept a mental tally of the others who will find it under their Christmas trees, in their birthday gifts, slipped to them in a moment when they need it most.
I realize I'm being vague here, and it's a conscious effort not to spoil the reading experience that I hope you will have after reading this. I understood why certain topics hit home with me, but what of the others? How was I so affected by stories of marital infidelity, of grief after the loss of a child, of dealing with middle-aged body image issues, situations that couldn't be further from my realities?
This, my friends, is the key to good writing. We often talk about fiction being transcendent, but I don't think we talk enough about nonfiction and its ability to bring us into other people's stories and lives and make us feel their pain for the moments we share. Dear Sugar's advice is directed at the person who has written in, but in the same way that a parent will say something to a spouse fully knowing the child is listening in. It is written to them, but entirely for our benefit.
Under the layers of jealousy or greed or regret or guilt or anger, or the hundred other emotions swept onto these pages is an underlying theme that we choose how we live. We do not choose our circumstances or the hand we're dealt - and as you read letter pile up on letter, you realize that, no matter how wildly different our lives come out, everyone has problems, everyone has difficult choices to make. Although the details of our individual lives couldn't be more different, the themes are shockingly similar.
I'm convinced that each reader will take something different away from this book. Me? This: We do not choose some of the detours or roadblocks or forks in the road, but we choose how we proceed. We choose how much compassion and patience we bring to the most difficult circumstances. It isn't meant to be easy, but it can be done. Most importantly, we choose how we work forgiveness - of others and of ourselves - into the narrative of our lives.
This book may, like me, make you tear up in public - repeatedly. But it will be worth every tightening of the chest, every locked-away story or memory that comes up to visit you. Promise.
"Sometimes back then, fishing with Jasper up the Sulphur, I hit my limit. I mean it felt my heart might just burst. Bursting is different than breaking. Like there is no way to contain how beautiful. Not it either, not just beauty. Something about how I fit. This little bend of smooth stones, the leaning cliffs. The smell of spruce. The small cutthroat making quiet rings in the black water of a pool. And no need to thank even. Just be. Just fish. Just walk up the creek, get dark, get cold, it is all a piece. Of me somehow."Hig as the main protagonist, is at once strong and weak. Smart enough to cope with changing circumstances, he is not quite the ruthless survivalist Bangley is; Bangley has to get him out of more than one life-threatening situations. He longs for companionship, unlike trigger-happy Bangley, who is fine with solitude, and not in favor of Hig flying off of on a wild goose chase. But vulnerable as Hig is, Heller builds him up beautifully; you root for him, you cry in his sorrow and laugh in his joy.
"One notable difference with going with others – spouse, lover, friends, or family – is that with company there is always some DISCUSSION. First there is the pre-movie discussion followed by the post-movie discussion. Everyone is fully armed with sharply pointed opinions, judgments, theories, beliefs, criticisms, praise, hype, comparisons, which often lead to HEATED discussions and even arguments. She is totally miscast! There’s no payoff! The plot’s all over the place! By the end of the evening whatever small pleasure you may have derived from the film has been undone."
-The Pleasures of Going Alone: What Solo Moviegoing Teaches Us-
Courtesy of Bibliotechnicienne | bibliotechnicienne.wordpress.com | Originally posted 8.18.2012
Part sci-fi, part fantasy, part computery, Alif the Unseen takes place in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. The main character is Alif (his online name, not his given name) a young man who lives his life online, providing digital protection to rebels, dissidents and hackers alike. He’s not picky about his clients.
Scorned by the woman he loves, he reacts…poorly. In no way can this be viewed as an overreaction (read: he overreacts big time) he creates a computer program that will detect his former lady loves presence online and when it does, it will erase all traces of him, making him invisible and uncontactable. I know that’s not a word, but wait, there’s more craziness ahead.
Said computer program causes a few…problems in the real world. This is an understatement. An ancient book is thrown into the mix, and suddenly Alif finds himself on the run from the State with his neighbour Dina in tow, seeking the protection of a jinn and the spiritual world. For some reason in North America, we stick a D in front of djinn. This is mentioned in the story, but not explained.
At this point, think Aladdin without Robin Williams. Also nix the singing.
I started reading this as a foil for Emma. I found the first bit a bit slow, but I really got into it about halfway through. I also couldn’t decide right away whether it was YA or not. Which isn’t a criticism, it just had that feel. I think it was when the book got into *ahem* adult situations that I decided that it’s not.
There’s a romantic subplot, but it’s different from your typical one. There are a lot of longing glances and coveting of ankle glimpses [which seems to contradict the above paragraph, but they're both right] I guess it’s not that much different than Emma after all.
Some books I find hard to recap with the right balance of telling enough to get someone interested, but not telling too much, and divulging the whole book. This is one of them. I already feel like I’ve said too much. But trust me, there’s a whole pile of stuff I haven’t touched on.
It’s a bit of a departure from my typical reads, but it’s a good one. I say "Read Me!"
Book 30 for fiftyfiftyme.
Courtesy of Amodini | Friday Nirvana | Originally posted 6.25.2012
Lately I’ve been reading books which I would normally have not read – you think the book is of a particular genre but it turns out to be quite something else. I’m glad though for having been able to read these different genres – they are great books and I’m the richer for having read them. There was Exogene by T.C. McCarthy which seemed like a sci-fi adventure set in a genetically-modified future, but which read like a war-novel instead. And then there is Age of Miracles which I requested via NetGalley because of its astounding sci-fi premise. As it turns out, sci-fi is but a backdrop for this wonderful coming-of-age novel.
As I write this, in today’s world, we face a number of environmental challenges. The earth’s climactic patterns are changing, some say due to man’s ill-treatment of the earth. Global warming is on the rise, human waste is piling up, polluting the land and choking natural water systems. Imagine that in addition to all these slow changes there is one sudden, totally unanticipated change – a shift in the earth’s rotation causing our days to no longer be sunlit and our nights to no longer be starry. This is the world this novel is set in.
Julia, the heroine of this novel, is an 11 year old middle-schooler negotiating her schooldays with the help of best friend Hanna. It is during this time that the rotation of the earth changes leading to an influx of minutes into a regular day. The days get larger, initially by a few minutes each day, but the cumulative effect causes the traditional day length of 24 hours to increase by hours, by days and then by weeks.
"At the beginning, people stood on street corners and shouted about the end of the world. Counselors came to talk to us at school. I remember watching Mr. Valencia next door fill up his garage with stacks of canned food and bottles water, as if preparing, it now seems to me, for a disaster much more minor."Initially befuddled, governments and government agencies – schools, offices, hospitals etc. decide to stick to “clock-time”, i.e.; a 24 hour time cycle even though the sun could now set in the middle of the “night” and “dawn” could be dark. Some people, the “real-timers”, decide to go by the sun, but are gradually shunned, leading them to migrate to communes. The sun’s changing rhythms have an effect on most earthly things – the earth’s protective atmosphere burns up, global warming increases, animals change migratory patterns and die mysteriously; there is societal unrest and unforeseen sicknesses. Most people worried, start anticipating the worst; they stockpile supplies, rebuild shelters to guard against the end of civilization, and migrate to be close to families and religious houses. Julia’s own hyper-paranoid mother stocks up, “a rising tide of condensed milk and canned peas” in their cupboards. In between all this, Julia must negotiate her way through fragile friendships, loneliness, death, nascent love and exhilaration.
"It was that time of life: talents were rising to the surface, weaknesses were beginning to show through, we were finding out what kind of people we would be. Some would turn out beautiful, some funny, some shy. Some would be smart, others smarter. The chubby ones would likely always be chubby. The beloved, I sensed, would be beloved for life. And I worried that loneliness might work that way, too. Maybe loneliness was imprinted in my genes, lying dormant for years but now coming into full bloom."Julia herself, is a very sympathetic character, an introvert who just wishes to meld into the background and remain there in peace; you like her very easily. Julia’s story is the story of her family – her parents and grandfather, her friends – Hanna and Seth Moreno, the boy she secretly adores, her neighbors with their peculiar idiosyncrasies, and her schoolmates with their careless callousness. This is the story of her struggle to stay grounded amid the upheaval they bring, in an uncertain world.
Title : The Age of Miracles
Author : Karen Thompson Walker
Genre : Dystopian/Sci-fi
Publisher : Random House
Pages : 289
Source : Netgalley/Publisher ARC
Rating : 4.5/5
Courtesy of Tanya | Green Paw Paw | Originally posted 5.13.2012
No, I’m not talking about Metallica.
Even though I’ve been reading other books in between, I’ve really been going through a whole Neil Gaiman phase. It started when I let talks of how I would love this guy, how his writing was nothing like I’d ever read before, how positively awesome he is get to me. So I finally picked up Good Omens, which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett (who I have yet to read). And then I read Neverwhere. Next on the list – The Graveyard Book.
So, do I love him? Yes.
Does he write like anybody else I know? No.
Is he absolutely, positively awesome? Beyond a doubt.
Why, then, have I been avoiding Sandman? Erm.
Quite honestly, I don’t know. Usually, when I hear about a graphic novel, I look up the premise, get excited, and find some way to devour read it. And I’ve loved every single graphic novel that I’ve read to date (well, except Blankets). So, you’d expect me to jump up and down like a crazy Oompa-Loompa at the mention of a marriage between Neil Gaiman and the glorious art of storytelling that is the graphic novel, yes? No.
Before I read Volume #1, if you said the word “Sandman”, I’d picture a weird hybrid of the sand man/monster from that pathetic excuse for a superhero movie (*cough* Spiderman 3) and the actual Sandman (the dream kind) from a Powerpuff Girls episode. Does anybody remember that one? Creepy guy in striped pajamas? Broken teeth? Can you blame me for not wanting to read it, especially when Neil Gaiman can disturb the hell out of you without even trying?
I was re-arranging books in the store, and it was the comic section’s turn. Tentatively, I picked up the first volume. Turned a few pages. Started reading. Finished reading. My shift had gotten over, and I had stayed for two extra hours. Without even noticing. Lucky for me, it had been a slow day.
I was expecting it to be a whole lot of things. I was expecting the Sandman himself to be a lot of things. What I wasn’t expecting was this.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, may I introduce you to Dream a.k.a Morpheus a.k.a The Sandman- King of Dreams, and one of The Endless – He Who Wears Black T-Shirts And Leather Jackets And Does So Many Things That Leave You Blubbering Like An Idiot And You Want To Cry In Frustration Because You Don’t Know Him Personally And/Or You Want To Be Like Him?
If you’ve read my reviews (if you can call them that) of Good Omens and Neverwhere, you’ll know that I have a problem with how they both end. That I was craving that staring-blankly-at-the-wall-with-the-what-the-hell-just-happened feeling that I thought each book deserved. With the Sandman series, Gaiman hits that feeling on the head with every issue. I’ve read four volumes so far, I’m just starting the fifth (I’m not sure how many issues that translates to and I’m too lazy to check, forgive me), and it leaves me gaping like a fish every five minutes. That man is a genius, and I don’t use that term lightly. He’s a factory of ideas, producing them in such overwhelming detail that I’m half grateful that he exists and writes like he does and half extremely jealous of his ability to.
And the illustration! *high-pitched scream* Yow! I loved the first two volumes more than the others so far, but all of them are incredible. They’ve got to be, anything less and the whole series would come crumbling down.
They’re addictive, these books. And even though you want to just gobble them all up, you realise how important it is to stop – and savour every panel, every moment you spend reading. I can stare at Morpheus’ cloak for a whole ten minutes. And after every few pages, you are forced to pause, shut the book, and think. Because this is not just a book. They are not just stories. Oh, no. You get the feeling that something of consequence is happening. That these books are changing something inside you, somehow. That you have to acknowledge the change, lest it slip away and forever be lost to you. That the way you see things is going to be very different the moment you accept that tentacle the books are extending to you and all that the invitation implies.
You know how people sometimes ask you if there was one book/book-series that you could read for the rest of your life – that and nothing else – which book(s) you would choose? And you think, “What? What is wrong with you? I can’t pick a favourite, go eat some cabbage and stop asking me these rubbish questions”? Yeah, well. I’d choose Sandman.
While I've seen some pretty good movies this year, with many more months to go, I can go ahead and anoint Moonrise Kingdom as my favorite film of 2012. I already gushed about it in last month's Stuff I've Been Consuming but since I just re-watched Moonrise, I can safely give it a double thumbs up. The first time around I just experienced it, trying to soak everything in. The second viewing I tried to pay attention and parse out exactly what it was that sucked me in. Here's a short list. And please, for the love of everything, just go see this thing already so I can stop soapboxing.
Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. The casting of these two were so good. I consumed every interview I could find online. I just had to know more about them. Neither had acted professionally before, can you believe that? Both were around twelve when they shot the film and they look like actual kids, especially Jared. He's a total dork but not of the type we normally see in movies. Gilman's character is prepubescent, totally oblivious in his uncoolness, yet totally assured. Kara's face is amazing. Beautiful and expressive but in an awkward way that is reflected in her slight gawkiness and imperfect symmetry. They seem wonderfully real and endearing, as actors and characters. Plus, what's the last movie like this featuring middle schoolers, Bridge to Terabithia?
First Loves. Watching Moonrise has to make you think of puppy loves. The intense feeling that you'd do anything for the other person, even run away from everything you know. There's so much (painful) sweetness in it. It ain't never gonna be this good again. Except in the movies.
Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. This is a for real thing! I assumed Benjamin Britten was fictional but indeed he is not. here's a great post from Framescourer, "The Moonrise Kingdom of Benjamin Britten," with some history and videos of the whole bit. Wonderful stuff.Khaki Scouts. Hanging in my closet right now is a Cub Scout shirt from my younger days. I was a Webelos Scout and while I'm not sure exactly what the differentiation was, I just remember all the random skills we had to learn. Tying knots, making fires, archery, fishing, kayaking, all these outdoor things I would never be associated with now. Watching Sam Sandusky use his wilderness skills to survive brought me way back. Man, I hope my uniform still fits!
Binoculars. Suzy's superpower of seeing with her binoculars struck a chord with me. Mainly because I recently purchased a pair for bird watching. Her binoculars made me feel less creepy about owning a pair. I'm not stalking, I'm superpowering.
One-liners. I could quote this movie all day. And I probably will for awhile. I won't ruin it for you though. Oh hell, if you're reading this far you saw the movie already. The "who's the say" line absolutely kills me. I rarely laugh out loud at movies and I was pretty much giggling throughout Moonrise. "I love you but you have no idea what you're talking about."
Suzy's Books. Wes Anderson made animated shorts introducing some of the fake books Suzy takes with her when she runs away. The titles, the artwork, the excerpts, all of them are so great. I would pay good money to have these as actual books. If Anderson wrote them himself I demand he pause whatever he's doing to finish the homage slash parodies. Seriously, the few lines from these are better than most of the stuff I've read this year. I feel like these would win those first page contests hands down. Publishers, get Wes on the phone.
"Meanwhile on the plains of Tabitha, Francine rested. There would be another time for war."[Crossposted from www.jonyang.org]
-The Francine Odysseys-
"I don't believe in magic. I used to but once I started taking introduction to life science with Mr. Mathy, I realized the logical explanation for practically every mystery in the world was even more interesting than a supernatural one. Auntie Lorraine wouldn't agree. Of course that's no surprise. She's a professional witch hunter."
-The Return of Auntie Lorraine-
Norah Ephron passed away a few weeks ago and even though I'd never read any of her books, I was a fan of her work. After all, who hasn't seen When Harry Met Sally? While she didn't direct that one, she did write and produce it. Ephron did helm many other movies, including Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and Julie & Julia. While some might call them sappy, others would call them fantastic romantic comedies. In fact, Harry Met Sally set the standard there didn't it?
I don't need to recap who Norah Ephron is, as there's been a slew of tributes about her. What I did want to share is how wonderful her collection of essays are. Until recently I'd never read her work, even though I knew I would love them. Her smart observations and hilarious voice are right up my alley. If you like Fran Lebowitz and Joan Didion, you'll like Ephron. I whipped through I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman in one sitting and am now actively seeking out her older collections.
Courtesy of Amanda | Dragonflight Dreams | Originally posted 5.25.2012
I've been scrutinizing characters that I love lately, in order to improve my own writing. It's made me realize that all of the fantasy characters whose series I'm addicted to are pretty bad-ass. I mean, they kind of have to be to survive in their worlds long enough to be a series rather than a standalone book, but that doesn't make them any less bad-ass. They also all have some interesting personality quirks, a clue that part of the reason they are so lovable is because of the depth their authors imparted them with. So I thought I'd compile a list of my top 5 favorite fantasy badasses, and take a look at what makes them tick.
***Please note that this list contains some spoilers! I tried to keep any such tidbits vague in nature, but there are probably some spoiler bits nonetheless.***
Courtesy of Maxqnz | Fifty Pachaas | Originally posted 5.22.2012
"If Wodehouse hadn't existed, it would have been necessary to have invented him."
Voltaire may not have said that, but I'm sure he would have done, given the chance. After wading through a fatiguingly mediocre Sapne Sajan Ke, I was desperately in need of refreshment, and the chance to return to Wodehouse was a blessing.
Wodehouse's writing is like a soufflé, light, insubstantial and airy, and guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of anyone who enjoys a sweet treat. Despite having read many of his books, including almost all the Blandings books, and most of the Wooster/Pelicans stories, I'd forgotten that I even had Piccadilly Jim until reminded of it by Dustedoff's excellent review review of the 1936 movie adaptation. Having "discovered" it, it's now one of my favourites, almost the quintessential Wodehouse.
One of the reasons that Wodehouse does generally not translate well to the screen is that his trademark style is not in the narrative, but in the descriptive parts of his works. An oft-quoted example of this is "if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled." Or, one of my favourites from this book, "it was his tendency, when he found himself in a sea of troubles, to float plaintively, not to take arms against it. To pick up the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and fling them back was not a habit of his." Phrases like that can't be brought to life onscreen, but they are what makes Wodehouse Wodehouse. So too are ridiculously complex and contrived plots, the sheer silliness of which make not smiling at them an impossibility. Even by Wodehouse's high standards, though, the farcical intricacy of the plot in Piccadilly Jim takes some beating.
Reading a Wodehouse story is liking pulling on a comfortable pair of slippers, you know exactly what you're getting into. True love will conquer all, but only after twists and turns that would make the Minotaur's head spin, and only after defeating women who make the Minotaur seem like a pussycat. In Piccadilly Jim the twists and turns include the delightful bonus of the lead character and hero of the story having to impersonate himself, a twist I don't recall from other PGW stories, and one that made me laugh out loud when I saw it coming.
In a world full of political darkness, economic uncertainties, and various grim horrors, it's therapeutic to turn the clock back a hundred years and just laugh. Wodehouse at his best is a master laugh maker, and Piccadilly Jim is Wodehouse at his best. If you haven't read it, do, and if you have, return to it when you need to rediscover your smile. I guarantee that reading Piccadilly Jim will leave you thoroughly gruntled.
Courtesy of 1 Book 1 Movie | 1book1movie | Originally posted 5.13.2012
It’s Mother’s day, so you know what that means? Another themed post! I thought I’d list some of my favorite movie moms. There are so many out there, either truly good moms, evil ones, crazy ones…I’m gonna list my favorites. For all the mom’s out there, hope you had a happy mother’s day!
1. Stepmom: Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts are the perfect combination for a tearjerker. Roberts being the stepmom, clashes with Sarandon in the beginning…understandable. The stepmom being a “cooler” younger woman, has a tough time winning over the kids and Sarandon. Fighting turns to friendship, the kids disrespect turns to love, which makes it really hard to watch, especially towards the end.
2. Mermaids: I love this movie: The 60′s, a promiscuous Cher as single mom, a teenage Winona Ryder and an even younger Christina Ricci. Also Bob Hoskins, as Cher’s latest love interest, and Jake Ryan from 16 Candles! Constantly moving, makes for a functional, dysfunctional family. Ryder’s character is obsessed with trying to be good and pure, and essentially, nothing like her mother…but as her mother says: “With half my chromosomes, that may be tough.” Hilarious, touching and just a movie I can watch over and over.
3. Anywhere But Here: Another single mother tale, starring Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman. Complete opposites, from a small town in Wisconsin, end up in Beverly hills. The two clash about Portman’s future, especially since her mother pushes her failed actress dreams onto her.4. Steel Magnolias: The movie you watch, when you want to cry. Starring Sally Field as the overprotective mom (for good reason!) and Julia Roberts and what she risks to become a mother herself. The best ensemble of female actors including Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, and Daryl Hannah.
5. Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood: A crazy woman…who probably shouldn’t have had children. Supported by her 3 best friends, creates a friendship known as the “Ya Ya sisterhood.” This is a flash back movie about a woman’s childhood and the memories she had of her depressed mother. Don’t get me wrong, she isn’t one of my favorite “good” mother’s, she’s under the crazy category, but the movie is entertaining and is another tearjerker. Stars Sandra Bullock, Ellen Burstyn, Ashley Judd, Fionnula Flanagan, Shirley Knight, Maggie Smith and the charming James Garner.
Here’s a great list with plenty more movie moms: http://www.greencine.com/central/momslist
Who are your favorites?
Courtesy of Bibliotechnicienne | Bibliotechnicienne | Originally posted 5.10.2012
In the not so distant future, China has emerged from the 2008 global economic meltdown unscathed and more prosperous than ever. The general populous is euphoric. Constantly. And yet one month is missing from the official record. Twenty-eight days to be exact. Newspapers have been destroyed. The online versions that remain have been altered to reflect that the economic meltdown and China’s so-called Age of Ascendancy happened simultaneously, without protest or disharmony. Few people remember the lost month and dare to question it. Why are there so few people who remember the chaos and protests, the same people who don’t feel the immense and unending happiness of the majority?
I liked this book. However I like the story behind the novel better than the actual book. It’s banned in China. The cover of the book proclaims it as “the book no one in China dares publish.” Who isn’t intrigued by a forbidden book?
Some books are translated into English from their original language and they flow. This is not one of them. I found some passages clunky and/or confusing, and I found myself re-reading many parts of the book for clarity.
One part I re-read because it was heartbreaking. The main character, Lao Chen, is thinking about “90 percent freedom” which he believes he currently enjoys in China. The government is much more relaxed than they were in the past. So what if he can’t get some of the books he wants, that he could before the lost month? As a writer, he feels guilty that he hasn’t read many of the Russian classics. He can still access those. “It’s enough for me to have these classics, I don’t need too much freedom.” Perhaps they’re already at 95 percent freedom. Watching him slowly rationalizes that things are better than they were before, and he doesn’t need “too much freedom” and should be happy with what he has is tough to read. It’s a work of fiction, but it’s not hard to imagine that it’s true. If things are better than they were in the past, why would you want to stir things up by advocating for that final 5 percent of freedom?
While the story, and perhaps the translation could use a bit of polish, it’s a worthwhile read.
Book 19/50 for fiftyfiftyme.
Are you taking part in 50/50me? How are you doing so far? Any book recommendations?
Note: be wary of reading articles about this book before reading it. I found one in the Globe and Mail, and it contained a colossal spoiler. A spoiler from the last pages of the book. I won’t repeat it here (but I’ll email it to you, if you’re one of those people who can’t help but spoil things for yourself. I do that too, but this time the spoiling was inadvertent and unwanted.) So, in the event that other journalists are jerkstores, refrain from reading reviews/articles until after reading the book.
BOOKS READ:
MOVIES WATCHED:
A banner month as April contained virtually no missteps on the movie or book front! That's pretty rare right? Well, unless you count Lockout, which was only a filler film because I was movie hopping. I need more Guy Pearce as sarcastic anti-hero but the rest of the movie was horrible. Let's start with Love in the Buff, which was the reason I sat through three movies that day anyway.
I've seen my share of Chinese movies but they tend to be of the John Woo action variety or the Wong Kar-Wai stuff. Love in the Buff is a romantic comedy set in Hong Kong and Beijing and because it's not American, the beats are different. American romcoms haven't changed much in the past decade, so to get my fix, I may now have to turn to Asia.
Seeing as it's Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, let me just say that watching a movie with young-ish urban Chinese folk, wearing their bold rimmed glasses and drawing their fashion cues not from Williamsburg but from their own influences, was an eye-opening experience. The looks ultimately aren't that different but seeing a city full of young urban Asian people without knowing immediately what their fashion stereotype is was refreshing.
The last time I set foot in Asia was ten years ago, and I have no idea what the modern young population does there. After watching Love in the Buff, I kind of want to visit and find out. Note: This is a sequel to Love in the Puff, which has the two main characters meeting at an outdoor smoking area and falling in love. What's not to like?
On the books front, I finally got the chance to toss down The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, which I'd been saving for a rainy day. I'm a little tired of the multi-generational, interlinking stories type of book but Junot Diaz's novel is a must read. Big bonus for all his geeky comic book references. I mean, literature that incorporates Uatu the Watcher? I'm in.
At the end of the day, I thought Brief Wonderous Life was our generation's One Hundred Years of Solitude and I'll likely return to it at some point. Although I think I'd recommend his short story debut, Drown, first. Also, if you're looking to get a sense of Diaz's style, his short, "Miss Lora", was recently in this month's New Yorker.
And speaking of highly recommended shorts, Aimee Bender's The Girl in the Flammable Skirt -- which is not about Katniss -- was so great. I loved Bender's clean writing and the impactful nuance of her stories. It's been years since I've fallen so in love with a short story collection. This rejuvenated me. I had picked up The Girl in the Flammable Skirt thinking of another "Aimee" author, but I'm glad the mistake happened. Now I'm gonna get into Bender's latest, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, which is just one of those long evocative titles I love.
Last up, Damsels in Distress starring Greta Gerwig. I think you have to officially put "indie darling" when you talk about Gerwig but it's fully deserved. Anything Gerwig is in I'll watch, even the (mostly) disappointing Greenberg. If you didn't know, Gerwig starred in mumblecore-y movies like Hannah Takes the Stairs and Nights and Weekends and is now slowly making her way through still quirky yet more mainstream projects.
I was very impressed with writer/director Whit Stillman's script and can't believe I'd never heard about him. Movies with sour dialogue and dour worldviews are right up my alley and Damsels in Distress was a near perfect example of the form -- although I can see a lot of people not enjoying it. If you watch one of Stillman's films and love it, please befriend me so I can be less alone. Bonus: Analeigh Tipton, another high riser in my "who to watch" ranking, co-stars in Damsels.
May is the start of summer blockbuster season so my indie diet may have to take a back seat to special effects and superheroes. Fire up the popcorn please!
[Crossposted from www.jonyang.org]