I've done a frightening amount of reading this month. For my birthday I received a nice little gift card to BN, which I promptly spent. So in the last 3 weeks I've read 1700 pages of George R. R. Martin's series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Specifically books 3 and 4, which are A Clash of Kings and A Feast for Crows. I started this series the week of Christmas last year, finished the first one just before the new year, and immediately bought and powered thru number two.
This being said, I will admit to being addicted.
I love this series, this universe.
I'm also a very big fan of Tolkien's works, including some of the more esoteric works. And this series has so much in common with it.
I have to say, you can't underscore how much Martin refuses to play favorites, as virtually nobody has things go their way for very long. And he loves to flat out jerk the rug out from beneath the readers in every book. Just when you finally get to know a character, or really start rooting a certain story line, it all comes to a crashing halt. And even now, with the first four of this series behind me in the last 9 months, i still fall for it.
what can i say, i'm addicted.
(and there's more books to come!)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
I Survived the Clattering Hordes
I Served the King of England, by Bohumil Hrabal is a book about a waiter who finished life by telling his story. It's an out-of-body type of narrative and takes a stream-of-consciousness style.
I had a similar out-of-body experience as I floated through a seminar/conference in Vail these last few days. My thoughts, like those in this book, were ever-shifting and jumbled, and the experience has felt very "out-of-body."
I type this in a lobby at nearly midnight and the clatter from the bar goes on. There are occasional shrieks of laughter, clinking of glasses and tones of immense solipsism.
I am out of my element.
"Ditie" spent every phase of his life out of his element in one way or another. Whether as the newbie waiter, German-sympathizing Czech or the approved-for-Aryan-marriage semi-human. Somehow, against all odds, when the chips were down, Ditie served the Emperor of Ethiopia -- a feat of such heroic proportions in the eyes of other waiters that you almost forget he "accomplished" the avoidance of the whining of an ueber-rich person who ALMOST had to wait another handful of seconds for his food and was in serious danger of receiving that food without a bow.
Ditie does the best he can. But the pomp and protocol escape him. It sort of seems familiar... (my feeble attempt at Hrabel style)
On Thursday shoulders rubbed. Drinks flowed. Networks were built. Names Drop. Clatter happened. A dinner was arranged for six... then 11... but 9 more showed up. I hovered above the table and watched myself squirm outside my element. How do they stomach a bill that will include so many $10 glasses of wine. Must everyone be "the greatest?" Why can't I play this game? It is fun, but not comfortable.
Then the chef suggested a "Dive" famous for its weekend chef. The "Dive" required $34 for a meal. It was also fantastic and the waiters were clearly trained by a person who had once served some sort of county commissioner.
Eyes roll at substance, signaling a preference for more shop-talk. Stories make their charges to be "king of the hill" and one-upsmanship abounds. I was thinking this not out of any meanness but from confusion and even participation. I think my topical preferences actually confuse.
Friday was solitary. I wandered with my book through the "village" and read sections at park benches. I heard only the sound of shoes on cobblestone. I sat by the pool. I sat in the lobby. I finished my book as the clatter continued and the latest arrivals enter the automatic revolving door. Must each one give me that look?
And now the clatter fades, or rather shifts to the lobby. Now I type. And it is all quiet. The last elevator closes and the lobby is quiet. My promise to deliver thoughts before the meeting has been narrowly accomplished.
At this very moment... the lobby is quiet.
This conference has been fascinating in its curriculum. I have enjoyed the company of good people and I even accomplished the amount of networking necessary for my niche profession. It is helpful and I have learned many things from many people. But, even if it is fun, it is not my element. And it will never be comfortable.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The parts I did not try to copy in the above post were the more graphic portions. I even resisted the obvious Clerks reference. I was taken aback by the very graphic nature of the sex scenes. I'm not used to that and it, much like this conference, was uncomfortable at times.
I'm still amazed at how this place went dead so quickly.
I liked the book. It was definitely a new experience. I'm still digesting it. It was thoughtful and well-conceived in a macro sense. It was both slice-of-life and contemplative.
I am in a fancy hotel, but I want to go home.
I had a similar out-of-body experience as I floated through a seminar/conference in Vail these last few days. My thoughts, like those in this book, were ever-shifting and jumbled, and the experience has felt very "out-of-body."
I type this in a lobby at nearly midnight and the clatter from the bar goes on. There are occasional shrieks of laughter, clinking of glasses and tones of immense solipsism.
I am out of my element.
"Ditie" spent every phase of his life out of his element in one way or another. Whether as the newbie waiter, German-sympathizing Czech or the approved-for-Aryan-marriage semi-human. Somehow, against all odds, when the chips were down, Ditie served the Emperor of Ethiopia -- a feat of such heroic proportions in the eyes of other waiters that you almost forget he "accomplished" the avoidance of the whining of an ueber-rich person who ALMOST had to wait another handful of seconds for his food and was in serious danger of receiving that food without a bow.
Ditie does the best he can. But the pomp and protocol escape him. It sort of seems familiar... (my feeble attempt at Hrabel style)
On Thursday shoulders rubbed. Drinks flowed. Networks were built. Names Drop. Clatter happened. A dinner was arranged for six... then 11... but 9 more showed up. I hovered above the table and watched myself squirm outside my element. How do they stomach a bill that will include so many $10 glasses of wine. Must everyone be "the greatest?" Why can't I play this game? It is fun, but not comfortable.
Then the chef suggested a "Dive" famous for its weekend chef. The "Dive" required $34 for a meal. It was also fantastic and the waiters were clearly trained by a person who had once served some sort of county commissioner.
Eyes roll at substance, signaling a preference for more shop-talk. Stories make their charges to be "king of the hill" and one-upsmanship abounds. I was thinking this not out of any meanness but from confusion and even participation. I think my topical preferences actually confuse.
Friday was solitary. I wandered with my book through the "village" and read sections at park benches. I heard only the sound of shoes on cobblestone. I sat by the pool. I sat in the lobby. I finished my book as the clatter continued and the latest arrivals enter the automatic revolving door. Must each one give me that look?
And now the clatter fades, or rather shifts to the lobby. Now I type. And it is all quiet. The last elevator closes and the lobby is quiet. My promise to deliver thoughts before the meeting has been narrowly accomplished.
At this very moment... the lobby is quiet.
This conference has been fascinating in its curriculum. I have enjoyed the company of good people and I even accomplished the amount of networking necessary for my niche profession. It is helpful and I have learned many things from many people. But, even if it is fun, it is not my element. And it will never be comfortable.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The parts I did not try to copy in the above post were the more graphic portions. I even resisted the obvious Clerks reference. I was taken aback by the very graphic nature of the sex scenes. I'm not used to that and it, much like this conference, was uncomfortable at times.
I'm still amazed at how this place went dead so quickly.
I liked the book. It was definitely a new experience. I'm still digesting it. It was thoughtful and well-conceived in a macro sense. It was both slice-of-life and contemplative.
I am in a fancy hotel, but I want to go home.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
More midterm
Instead of giving a ranking for the "midterm", I'm going to talk about some books that I haven't had a chance to before, in certain categories.
Book I never thought I'd like but ended up loving: The Virgin Suicides
Never judge a book by it's trailer. Or what you remember about a trailer. Or just what you might mistakenly think the movie, or book, is about....you know, someone aught to come up with a catchy way to say this.
Anyways, this was not a novel that I thought would stick with me, figuring that the "teenage girls finding their way through life" would pass over my head. ( I didn't take the title seriously. That might have been a mistake). "Suicides", though, is not a typical coming-of-age story. Well, it sort of is, albeit through a dark, melancholic symphony. It's also, for all it's focus on the shut-in Lisbon sisters, really about the boys gathering across the street, who watch, worship, and mourn. Those boys grow up with no other desire than to set the record straight on what happened to their true first loves. The story is written as if the boys are making a case on the girls, less in a legal matter and more a mythical testimonial. The dream-state that pervades the book testifies on how I remember my high school years now: flowing from moment to moment, some memories with perfect clarity while others are like looking out a frosted window in January.
This was supposed to be the sports version of Freakonomics, a great book that took a different look at certain phenomena. Which, for all I realize, maybe it was. I confess to know nothing about the intricacies of standard educational testing or the long term social effects of Abortion, so ideas like proving how teachers cheat standard testing or numbers that suggest legalized abortion reduces crime are interesting. (NOTE: interesting does not mean right or wrong. No political flame wars please.) But, I do watch a LOT of sports, and things like "Referees tend to favor the home team" and "just because a player hits 5 shots in a row does not mean he will be anymore likely to hit the 6th" do not exactly leave me mind-blown. Maybe it's how I came into the book: Maybe there's an educational administrator who read Freakonomics and said "psst, of course teachers are cheating. Duh." Not saying I was too smart for Scorecasting, but maybe too sports-savvy. Although I'm really freaking smart, so let's not toss that overboard hastily.
I met Frederic Arnold through work, as he's put through a handful of sculpture in our foundry. He is one of those older men, pleasant-in-demeanour and sharp-in-mind, that people tend to enjoy being around. I heard a couple of his stories about flying a P-38 at the foundry, but didn't know he had written a book about his experience in WWII until a co-worker handed me his book. It is a terrific story, written with a sad sense of emotion. A great look at how one man made it through war, with his family dealing with illness at home and with the inevitable rivalries (Mr Arnold is jewish) that pop up in the front. I recommend it for anybody who wants a good non-fiction war story without having to worry about the specific particulars of war.
Book I was excited for that disappointed horribly: Scorecasting
This was supposed to be the sports version of Freakonomics, a great book that took a different look at certain phenomena. Which, for all I realize, maybe it was. I confess to know nothing about the intricacies of standard educational testing or the long term social effects of Abortion, so ideas like proving how teachers cheat standard testing or numbers that suggest legalized abortion reduces crime are interesting. (NOTE: interesting does not mean right or wrong. No political flame wars please.) But, I do watch a LOT of sports, and things like "Referees tend to favor the home team" and "just because a player hits 5 shots in a row does not mean he will be anymore likely to hit the 6th" do not exactly leave me mind-blown. Maybe it's how I came into the book: Maybe there's an educational administrator who read Freakonomics and said "psst, of course teachers are cheating. Duh." Not saying I was too smart for Scorecasting, but maybe too sports-savvy. Although I'm really freaking smart, so let's not toss that overboard hastily.
Shameless plug for somebody I've worked with: Doorknob Five Two
Books that would have been great if they could have cut about 100 pages :
- Dracula
- Those Guys Have All The Fun
- The Girl Who Played With Fire
Books made me wish I was reading the romance novels again:
- Water For Elephants (sorry book club)
- The Black Hole War (sorry physicists)
- Metamorphosis and other short stories (sorry germans)
3 authors I want to read more of
- Jeffery Eugenides
- Charles Yu
- Robert Heinlein
A friendly reminder about Michael Chabon
- He's really, really awesome
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Midterm Report
I always like to set down my thoughts at about the midway point, and I always get around to doing it late. So, here it is... my late mid-point progress report. Overall, I think I'm having another solid year of good books. My screening process seems to be effective because I've enjoyed just about everything I've read this year.
Top Tier candidates
Moonwalking with Einstein, by Joshua Foer - I cannot forget the order of the presidents if I try and I'm 1/3 of the way through memorizing the probate code. Utility, this book provided it. Also a good read and I learned a lot about brain function.
Downtown Owl, by Chuck Klosterman - I loved this book. I actually enjoyed it more than his essay books. I like books that don't necessarily tie the ending with a bow and I loved how he turned ordinary people and events into a compelling story. Very slice-of-life.
Homicide, a year on the killing streets, by David Simon - The Wire in book form. A great book. It'll mess with your paradigm.
The Corner, by David Simon - The Wire in book form, from a different angle. Very illuminating. Also will mess with your paradigm and make you feel blessed to not sleep in a crack house. In my worst day on this earth I haven't slept in a crack house and that's where D'Andre McCullough hung his NFL posters. So, yeah, there's that.
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien - It's a classic. It was a fun read. Nice to finally start the series.
A Visit From the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan - I love perspective books and this one included first-person narratives from all over the place. It was unique, unpredictable and very creatively done. One chapter was a power-point presentation. This book gave me permission to do something I was toying with for my story.
War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy - I'm half-way through it, but it seems logical to reserve a spot right here.
The worst book of the bunch (and this is not a close call)
The Age of American Unreason, by Susan Jacoby - Have you ever had a friend who agrees with you politically and philosophically, but you can't bear to let that friend argue your side because he/she exudes every negative stereotype or expectation of "your team?" Well, Susan Jacoby is that for me. You can argue the liberal side without ACTUALLY drinking an arugula latte behind the wheel of a Prius. So, it's not enough to bag on TV, but you have to humblebrag about your love of Russian poetry? Really Susan Jacoby? REALLY?!?!?! I hated this book. HATED this book. That's MY team she had me rooting against. I'm angry... moving on.
Fun Reads
Bossypants, by Tina Fey - Funny, but more of a biography than I expected from a comedian. Her entire last chapter about whether she should have a second child became moot when she recently got pregnant. It just kinda made that chapter seem dated and useless, but maybe that's just me.
Them, by Jon Ronson - Did I mention I like to read about conspiracy theorists? They're a fun bunch, let me tell you. Ronson manages to get these folks to open up and he lets them do all the work in the mocking department. His wry British wit tends to throw off nut jobs and the results are laugh-out-loud funny. In a related note, people believe all kinds of crazy stuff. I mean, even more than I previously thought (yes, they actually believe in Lizard people in human form... and you thought 9/11 Truthers were wacko). Many people are nuts.
Out of Character, by David DeSteno - An interesting look at how character is not rock solid, but rather malleable. Honestly, the point was made in the first chapter and then driven home over and over, but an interesting read. Here's a hint: When in a tough situation, "good character" folks will do whatever.
Psychopath Test, by Jon Ronson - Ronson again uses his wry British wit to tackle an interesting issue. In this case, mental health. He does a great job of telling entertaining stories and he illustrates how out of control our diagnoses are and how "disorders" are being defined ever closer to "normal" behavior. This stroked my bias against over-diagnosing of people and how folks lean on them to justify behavior. I should stop writing on this topic now.
In 50 Years We'll All Be Chicks, by Adam Corolla - Look, he's a pig and he's funny as hell. What can I say? Sometimes you just need to laugh.
These Guys Have All The Fun, by Tom Shales - I learned a lot about ESPN, which was interesting. I also got to know how subscribers of US Weekly feel when they finish reading their magazine: the combination of enjoyment and complete and utter shame for having enjoyed it. Very gossipy, but also good. Probably 150-200 pages too long.
When You Are Engulfed In Flames, by David Sedaris - I liked it. I like all his books, but each one ends with me tired of it. I can't explain that. Sedaris is great, but I think his voice wears me out by the end of a book.
Surprisingly deep
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, by Elizabeth Tova Bailey - An interesting book written by someone with a disorder that forced her to notice the most mundane of sounds and sights, and an illustration for smelling the flowers you can reach.
Tinkers, by Paul Harding - Very poetic. Very well written. Very dark at times. Makes you think. Also very short.
The Advance Genius Theory, by Jason Hartley - Why is this book in this category? Because I can't stop applying the theory whenever I assess anything. Is it overt to want to read War & Peace (aka snobbish) or is it advanced (genuinely indicative of a higher intellectual plane)? Hartley would probably say we're doing it in a group and talking about it, so therefore snobs. This guy must be a real joy at dinner parties.
The Unlikely Disciple, by Kevin Roose - I've blogged on it. I still find fault in the overly-pushy religious types. My thoughts on this book were posted.
Love is a Mix Tape, by Rob Sheffield - I thought it was another hipster 80's child memoir of nostalgia, but it was a story about his young wife who died suddenly told through the mix-tapes they had made for each other. I was expecting Sex, Drugs and Coco Puffs, but got a heart-wrenching tale instead.
Misc.
Scorecasting, by L. Jon Wortheim - Mostly stuff I already knew... more because I understand basic math and not because I'm all that smart. But it empirically proved what I already knew in such a way that it made me smile... (that the Cubs suck bad, always have, and will continue to because they care more about beer than wins... feels good to even summarize).
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, by David Foster Wallace - No writer impresses me more with talent than Mr. Wallace. At times it's like he's showing off. This collection of essays was phenomenal. My only complaint is that it is often topic-driven (I don't like or understand David Lynch and was therefore lost for a large portion of the longest essay) and even virtuosic writing gets old when its used to discuss a cruise ship. Still, I am in awe of his writing.
Endgame, by Frank Brady - Covered below. Did I mention Bobby Fisher was nuts and brilliant? Both true.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot - Covered in a post. Very good book.
Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess, by Bobby Fisher - I improved my endgame by working through all of Mr. Fisher's puzzles. Very good tutorial. Endgame noted it was a good tutorial, so I tried it.
Top Tier candidates
Moonwalking with Einstein, by Joshua Foer - I cannot forget the order of the presidents if I try and I'm 1/3 of the way through memorizing the probate code. Utility, this book provided it. Also a good read and I learned a lot about brain function.
Downtown Owl, by Chuck Klosterman - I loved this book. I actually enjoyed it more than his essay books. I like books that don't necessarily tie the ending with a bow and I loved how he turned ordinary people and events into a compelling story. Very slice-of-life.
Homicide, a year on the killing streets, by David Simon - The Wire in book form. A great book. It'll mess with your paradigm.
The Corner, by David Simon - The Wire in book form, from a different angle. Very illuminating. Also will mess with your paradigm and make you feel blessed to not sleep in a crack house. In my worst day on this earth I haven't slept in a crack house and that's where D'Andre McCullough hung his NFL posters. So, yeah, there's that.
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien - It's a classic. It was a fun read. Nice to finally start the series.
A Visit From the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan - I love perspective books and this one included first-person narratives from all over the place. It was unique, unpredictable and very creatively done. One chapter was a power-point presentation. This book gave me permission to do something I was toying with for my story.
War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy - I'm half-way through it, but it seems logical to reserve a spot right here.
The worst book of the bunch (and this is not a close call)
The Age of American Unreason, by Susan Jacoby - Have you ever had a friend who agrees with you politically and philosophically, but you can't bear to let that friend argue your side because he/she exudes every negative stereotype or expectation of "your team?" Well, Susan Jacoby is that for me. You can argue the liberal side without ACTUALLY drinking an arugula latte behind the wheel of a Prius. So, it's not enough to bag on TV, but you have to humblebrag about your love of Russian poetry? Really Susan Jacoby? REALLY?!?!?! I hated this book. HATED this book. That's MY team she had me rooting against. I'm angry... moving on.
Fun Reads
Bossypants, by Tina Fey - Funny, but more of a biography than I expected from a comedian. Her entire last chapter about whether she should have a second child became moot when she recently got pregnant. It just kinda made that chapter seem dated and useless, but maybe that's just me.
Them, by Jon Ronson - Did I mention I like to read about conspiracy theorists? They're a fun bunch, let me tell you. Ronson manages to get these folks to open up and he lets them do all the work in the mocking department. His wry British wit tends to throw off nut jobs and the results are laugh-out-loud funny. In a related note, people believe all kinds of crazy stuff. I mean, even more than I previously thought (yes, they actually believe in Lizard people in human form... and you thought 9/11 Truthers were wacko). Many people are nuts.
Out of Character, by David DeSteno - An interesting look at how character is not rock solid, but rather malleable. Honestly, the point was made in the first chapter and then driven home over and over, but an interesting read. Here's a hint: When in a tough situation, "good character" folks will do whatever.
Psychopath Test, by Jon Ronson - Ronson again uses his wry British wit to tackle an interesting issue. In this case, mental health. He does a great job of telling entertaining stories and he illustrates how out of control our diagnoses are and how "disorders" are being defined ever closer to "normal" behavior. This stroked my bias against over-diagnosing of people and how folks lean on them to justify behavior. I should stop writing on this topic now.
In 50 Years We'll All Be Chicks, by Adam Corolla - Look, he's a pig and he's funny as hell. What can I say? Sometimes you just need to laugh.
These Guys Have All The Fun, by Tom Shales - I learned a lot about ESPN, which was interesting. I also got to know how subscribers of US Weekly feel when they finish reading their magazine: the combination of enjoyment and complete and utter shame for having enjoyed it. Very gossipy, but also good. Probably 150-200 pages too long.
When You Are Engulfed In Flames, by David Sedaris - I liked it. I like all his books, but each one ends with me tired of it. I can't explain that. Sedaris is great, but I think his voice wears me out by the end of a book.
Surprisingly deep
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, by Elizabeth Tova Bailey - An interesting book written by someone with a disorder that forced her to notice the most mundane of sounds and sights, and an illustration for smelling the flowers you can reach.
Tinkers, by Paul Harding - Very poetic. Very well written. Very dark at times. Makes you think. Also very short.
The Advance Genius Theory, by Jason Hartley - Why is this book in this category? Because I can't stop applying the theory whenever I assess anything. Is it overt to want to read War & Peace (aka snobbish) or is it advanced (genuinely indicative of a higher intellectual plane)? Hartley would probably say we're doing it in a group and talking about it, so therefore snobs. This guy must be a real joy at dinner parties.
The Unlikely Disciple, by Kevin Roose - I've blogged on it. I still find fault in the overly-pushy religious types. My thoughts on this book were posted.
Love is a Mix Tape, by Rob Sheffield - I thought it was another hipster 80's child memoir of nostalgia, but it was a story about his young wife who died suddenly told through the mix-tapes they had made for each other. I was expecting Sex, Drugs and Coco Puffs, but got a heart-wrenching tale instead.
Misc.
Scorecasting, by L. Jon Wortheim - Mostly stuff I already knew... more because I understand basic math and not because I'm all that smart. But it empirically proved what I already knew in such a way that it made me smile... (that the Cubs suck bad, always have, and will continue to because they care more about beer than wins... feels good to even summarize).
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, by David Foster Wallace - No writer impresses me more with talent than Mr. Wallace. At times it's like he's showing off. This collection of essays was phenomenal. My only complaint is that it is often topic-driven (I don't like or understand David Lynch and was therefore lost for a large portion of the longest essay) and even virtuosic writing gets old when its used to discuss a cruise ship. Still, I am in awe of his writing.
Endgame, by Frank Brady - Covered below. Did I mention Bobby Fisher was nuts and brilliant? Both true.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot - Covered in a post. Very good book.
Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess, by Bobby Fisher - I improved my endgame by working through all of Mr. Fisher's puzzles. Very good tutorial. Endgame noted it was a good tutorial, so I tried it.
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