Due to absolutely no popular demand other than from inside my head, it's the return of The Book I Read. Now link free. And now utilizing the same ratings scheme I use for my movie list, to wit . . .
***** = Must be read before you die.
**** = Really good.
*** = Worth reading, but you won't die for lack of it.
** = A waste of time, but one or two good moments.
* = You'll lose two IQ points reading this one.
-0 = This will make you want to kill yourself, but only after you have mounted a water tower with a rifle and taken out as many innocent bystanders as time allows. This rating might as well have been invented after reading Less Than Zero.
1. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson*** . . . but I had to think about giving it ** for a minute, which isn't a good sign. Probably would have gone for ** */2, but homie don't play that fence sit shit. I did like the religious conspiracy stuff in the novel, but I got really tired of the rat creature shit and thought the ending was seriously anti-climactic, and that there wasn't nearly enough snow crash stuff to justify that being the title of the work.
2. Tarzan Triumphant** Sorry about the rating, Tarzan, but this was not a very good outing. It was, however, the 15th Tarzan book Joe and I have read together--and, with the ten John Carter of Mars books, our 25th Edgar Rice Burroughs tome.
3. The Inner Man: The Life of J. G. Ballard by John Baxter*** This book had some really good moments, but (1) the author obtrudes himself frequently, and I found him to be pretty obnoxious, and (2) I ended up not liking J. G. Ballard very much, and I don't think I'm going to try to read any more of his books. In fact, if you're interested, I've got a half-dozen or so "as new" unread that I'll sell you cheap.
4. Everything Changes by Jonathan Tropper**** My first Jonathan Tropper novel, but not my last. There were a few "off" moments in this novel, but it was a pleasure to read and I really cared about the characters. It also made me wish that I had a family . . . especially a brother or two.
Thomas highlighted:
"I’ve become a cipher, and the only proof I have that I haven’t disappeared is that if I had, I probably wouldn’t be feeling this shitty." "we are your family and you will always have us”—she grins—“no matter what kind of idiot you are.” "God sent you so that I’d never feel worthless.” "Every day, for him, is like trying to play the piano wearing oven mitts." "When you start envying people their nervous breakdowns, it’s probably time to start examining your own life a bit more closely."
5. Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of God by Saint Innocent.***, but I may be being generous here. This was so harsh it made me want to say fuck it re: any further religious inquiry.
6. The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper***** I'm not in the best place in my spiritual and emotional life, so that may account for part of my reaction, but as I read the last several chapters of this book I cried like a fucking baby . . . and not for a short time, either. I have never had such a strong (and sustained) emotional reaction to a book before.
7. How to Talk to a Widower by Jonathan Trooper**** Deliberated for a moment between *** and ****, but decided that that had more to do with having just finished The Book of Joe than anything else.This book had some interesting garnishes: sections written as columns from w magazine, well-written as email conversations.I loved the father character here. Also coming to see J. Trooper' s touchstones s. I THINK: the angry and misunderstood young boy, the protagonist who gets laid with almost no effort, the pain in the ass mom. Not that touchstones are bad. Where would John Irving be without Vienna, wrestling, and bears?
8. If This Isn't Nice, What Is? by Kurt Vonnegut*** Well, the truth is that the publishers have scraped the bottom of the Vonnegut barrel, and now they're giving us rust-edged holes. There were some enjoyable bits here, but just about all of them were things I'd read before in his real books. Also, there's a lot of repetition from one speech to the next, and the book is quite short, so it kind of feels like talking to a senile old man. More than a bit sad. You might want to take a pass on this one.
9. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan**** A novel about a bookstore is going to get at least *** from me--unless it's written by Harold Coyle or Bret Easton Ellis. Throw in a secret society and a quest . . . yeah, that's another *.
10. Thomas Henry Huxley Collected Essays (1893 - 1904) Volume II, Darwiniana.**** I love T. H. H. Huxley immensely. I will admit that my brain is so small that I got a little tired of reading about Darwin, but even so Huxley's writing was worth following. Though I am anxious to move on and hear what he has to say about other stuff . . . so here comes Volume III.
11. Plan B by Jonathan Tropper** Hate to rate it so low, but the first half--maybe more--of this book was just a slog. I probably would've given up on it if it had been written by somebody else. But I kept at it, and somewhere in the last third of it it became a bit engaging, and though there were still some big flaws, I was carried through to the last page. Tropper has said that this book shouldn't have been published, and he's probably right. Although I have to think that the right editor could have helped him to tighten things up enough to make it at least a better book. Oh, well. On to the next Tropper.
12. One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper****It felt really good to read this after Plan B, as it totally restored my faith in Jonathan Tropper. This was an excellent, poignant read. I really liked the ending, too. Pretty much the perfect way to end this story, actually.
13. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper**** Not sure if this is a full-fledged four star or not since I had seen the movie before reading the book and that kind of messed me up a bit. But it was a good read, for sure, and had some memorable lines. The only thing I don't like about Tropper's writing is that the guys have so little trouble getting gorgeous women to have sex with them. They don't even go looking, really, it just slides right into them (so to speak). Maybe it's just me, though. A little sad because this ends my Tropper Quest--I've now read all of his books, seen the (dvd) available seasons of his show, and seen his movie. But there's no doubt lots more to come, so there's that.
14. The World of Star Trek by David Gerrold** This was one of the worst-written books I've ever read. Seriously, where the hell was the editor on this thing? It is repetitious, the interviews that are used are meandering and often irrelevant, and there are many grammatical errors. It reads like a first draft which was published as is . . . and possibly written during an all-nighter fueled by crack. I don't understand.
15. Empress (Godspeaker Book One) by Karen Miller**** I picked this up at Books-a-Million--where I almost never shop--because (1) it was a big fat book, (2) it was really cheap, and (3) the first few pages were kind of interesting. And then I didn't read it for a long time. But a week or so ago I picked it up and started reading, and what do you know, it's a pretty compelling story. So I just finished 459 pages . . . and still have about 1,000 pages to go, so there's that. It's quite a chunk of writing. This is the first time I've encountered Karen Miller, but if the last 2/3rds of this trilogy hold up as well as the first 1/3rd, I'll probably seek out some more of her stuffs.
16. iZOMBIE 1: Dead to the World
17. iZOMBIE 2: uVampire
18. iZOMBIE 3: Six Feet Under and Rising
19. iZOMBIE 4: Repossession
mostly by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, and, I'm sorry to say, **. Sorry because I'd seen the first two episodes of the tv show and thought it was pretty good--though it does look like it could fall into a formulaic pattern if the writers don't get busy (eat brain, solve crime). But the show actually has very little to do with the comic book. The show is a police procedural with a zombie in it. The comic is more like the worst aspects of Buffy the Vampire Slauyer--a host of improbable characters, all of whom are wafer thin in terms of characterization, and a Lovecraftian plot which just isn't all that interesting. I'm glad that I got these volumes from the library, as I definitely would have felt that I'd wasted my money if I'd bought the four volumes.
20. Tarzan and the City of Gold by Edgar Rice Burroughs** But it was the 16th Tarzan novel for me and Joe.
21. Archer Coe by Jamie S. Rich and Dan Christensen*** Some really good moments in this "graphic novel," and some nice, Gilbert Hernandez-looking art, but the story overall didn't make a hell of a lot of sense to me. Maybe I was just thick today, though.
22. I Refuse by Per Petterson**** Can't remember how many Petterson novels I've now read . . . this was at least the third. I like him a lot. He's not flashy, but he can make your brain tremble with a word choice, an image. Read the first 110 pages of this book at Barnes and Noble in two sittings.
23. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens**** I really enjoyed this book. Dickens is so good at abusing his characters in ways that make you get involved with his stories. You even forgive him for the occasional absurdities.
24. Doppler by Erlend Loe**** What a weird fucking book. Loved it. What is up with these Norwegians?
25. Lazy Days by Erlend Loe**** Not as good as Doppler, but well worth doing. Need more Loe. But no more on Scribd and none at the library. No copies at either Barnes and Noble or either Half Price Books. Might have to spend some money here.
24. Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbø** I've read almost all of Nesbø's books--10 Harry Holes and one Fart Powder--and have been really impressed by his writing. That said, this book was no thrill. For one thing, it was very short--I'd estimate around 40,000 words. For another, it was very thin in terms of both event and character. And for another, the writing was murky--to the point that there were times when you didn't know what was going on. Part of that was by design, but it was a stupid design. Glad I didn't have to pay to read it. (Thanks LFPL.)
25. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber***** A truly amazing book. On kindle it was 1200 pages, in paperback 940 or so, but I really flew through this book. And not only was it compelling reading, but it was so well written. I marked at least two dozen lines for safe-keeping. Going to have to read more of this Michel Faber guy. And he's not even Norwegian.
26. Naive. Super by Erlend Loe**** This Erlend Loe guy is pretty fucked up. I like that in a man. This is my favorite of the three Loe books I've read to date.
27, Paying For It by Chester Brown***** Yep. Because it's not just about Chester paying whores for sex. It's about romantic love and about the way society views women and men and other stuffs. Plus it has Seth and Joe Matt as characters. And because how brave do you have to be to draw yourself naked and having sex?
28. Seth: Conversations by University Press of Mississippi**** Enjoyable series of interviews with one of my favorite cartoonists . . . though I have to admit that there were a few things that I wish he hadn't said. Especially stuff about Dave Sim.
29. Ed the Happy Clown: the Definitive Edition by Chester Brown (1992)**** Read this because (1) Seth had talked about Chester Brown quite a bit in the book of interviews I'd just finished and (2) it was available on Scribd and (3) I have the original Vortex Comics issues, but never got the collected edition, and (4) there's that word --definitive--in the title, which seems to mean "you missed something if you didn't read this version. And at first I was really disappointed because it seemed so purile and silly, but later on either it got better or I got worse, because I laughed out loud a couple of times.
30. The Avengers / Defenders War by Steve Englehart, Bob Brown, Sal Buscema***** Which is not to say that it's good, really. In fact, the story is pretty bad--silly and pretentious. But the idea of the story is very cool . . . and, maybe, the first Really Big Crossover Story. Hence the 5*. I think Matthew H. Thompson, one of my best friends ever (and now I can't find him anywhere, goddamnit) is responsible for me being able to appreciate Steve Englehart. I remember him lending me a West Coast Avengers crossover story . . . can't even remember what the story itself was, but maybe an Avengers vs. West Coast Avengers thing? . . . and I thought it was just awful . . . bad dialogue, shallow characterizations, etc. . . . and he told me how he thought it was such a great story. So I had to start thinking about what a great story was. And eventually I saw that he was talking about the idea of the story.
31. Lords of Mars by Arvid Nelson and Roberto Castro** Sorry to say, since I really like Arvid Nelson immensely. But the art is just fucking awful (it is a Dynamite comic book, after all). And the story, sorry to say, just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I did buy the first couple of issues of the comic book when it came out, but it just wasn't worth it, so I dropped out after the second issue. It was on Scribd, though, so I thought I would just finish it off. There you have it.
32. I Am Radar by Reif Larsen***** Fanfuckingtastic book. I don't know what the people who gave this book poor reviews were even talking about. One reviewer on Amazon, for instance, said that this book was "over-written, boring, wordy, precious, and cold book." I found it quite compelling, very honest, and my cockles were warmed by the strange characters. And I believe that there were just as many notes as were required, neither more nor less. I am o fficially putting this into my Top Ten Books of All Time. And now I'm going to read The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet. Thank you, Reif Larsen, for reminding me that there is a little bit of God in every book.
33. Lord of the Jungle Volume 1 by Arvid Nelson and Roberto Castro** As before, my love for Arvid is large. And this time around the art isn't completely horrific. Story's not bad either. But it's not that great either.
34. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick*** Tried to read this right after I first saw the movie, but gave up after a few pages because the narrator's voice just didn't seem right to me. But there was an audiobook of it on Scribd and I started listening to it and ended up getting caught up in the thing. I think the movie was better, but there's a lot of good things in the book--and, of course, a lot of things that didn't make it into the novel.
35. The Secret History Omnibus Volume 3 by Jean-Pierre Pécau, Igor Kordey**** Pretty close to a must-read comic book here. Masterful job of integrating history (and prominent historical figures) with what is, basically, a conspiracy story. The art can be breathtaking at times. I think it looks especially good on the Kindle; the back-lighting really makes the colors look great.
36. The Laughing Jesus: Religious Lies and Gnostic Wisdom by Peter Gandy and Timothy Freke*** This is really two books under one cover. The first book is a very interesting history of gnosticism. I'm not convinced that it's accurate, but it was a thrilling read. The second book is mumbo jumbo new age hippie bullshit. I was also not found of the authorial voice throughout--very cutsie pie. Fuckin' hippies.
37. Seiobo There Below by László Krasznahorkai***** I had a hard time with this book for the first 100 pages or so. Then there was a section (around page 111) that was so captivating that it ba-loo my mind. The rest of the book was still a difficult read at times, but I had fallen in the Krasznahorkai universe and I didn't want out. So I'm immediately going on to War and War. And I think . . . this may be one of my favorite books of all time. Yep. I plan to reread it, but I emailed the publisher about typographical errors and offered to send them a list, so I'm going to wait to hear from them before I reread. Maybe I can become a small part of Krasznahorkai World! Details as they happen.
38. War and War. ***** Yep.
39. Justice, Inc. Volume 1 by Michael Uslan and Giovanni Timpano** In the immortal words of The Comics Journal, "Your average, dopey, uninspired comic book." But it does have The Avenger in it.
40. Empire Volume 1 by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson** Kitson's art bumps this up an asterisk. The story is pretty bad. A bwa-ha-ha villain who's such a terrible guy that he never takes his mask off and kills his own kid. Mmm-hmmm.
41. The Cinema of Béla Tarr: The Circle Closes by András Bálint Kovács**** A lovely book with some excellent observations on Tarr's films. Made a nice companion piece as I made my way through the movies. There are times when Kovács gets too big for his britches--such as when he says, basically, Tarr is wrong about what he said about his own film--but that only happens once or twice, and the rest is pretty good shit.
42. Unbroken - The Young Adult Adaptation by Laura Hillenbrand*** This is the first book that Joe has read out loud to me. It took quite awhile . . . 12/18/2014 is my best guess for the start date, so that would be about six months. He really got into the reading . . . would stop to make comments (most frequent comment: "This is not good!") and make comparisons between the book and the movie. Awesome. And yesterday we went to Half-Pric.e and he picked out the next book he's going to read to me: a Fantastic Four novel. Oh, yeah.
43. On The Books: A Graphic Tale of Working Woes at NYC's Strand Bookstore by Greg Farrell***
44. The Bill
For Palma Vecchio, at Venice
by László Krasznahorkai**** 'Cause it's László.
45. Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry*** I listened to this whilst biking (thanks, Scribd!), which may at least partially account for the fact that I don't feel that I really grasped the story. (On the other hand, I listened to Silver Linings Playbook whilst biking . . . and am currently listening to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo whilst biking, and I feel that I caught / am catching hold of them quite well.) There were some excellent lines, though, such as, "If our civilization were to sober up for a couple of days it would die of remorse on the third." Hard not to love a book that has shit like that in it. And there were many allusions, some subtle, which I am usually--perhaps even unusually--fond of. So ***. For a story whose basic plot is "A drunk rambles on."
46. The Festival of Insignificance by Milan Kundera** See HERE.
47. Tarzan and the Lion Man by Edgar Rice Burroughs** Bring back Korak and Jane, ERB! Also, it'd be nice if we didn't have to wait a third of the book for Tarzan to appear! (Finished 6/27/15, btw.)
48. Drawn and Quarterly: Twenty-five Years of Contemporary Cartooning, Comics, and Graphic Novels edited by Tom Devlin, etc.**** I've got nothing but love for this massive (776 pages, 4.6 pounds) anthology. And God Bless LFPL for getting it to me hot off the presses. (It was just released on June 2nd, and I checked it out on the 22nd.) Lots of interesting articles and essays, and lots and lots of good comics, some of them rare or even brand damn new.
49. Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine*****
50. The Melancholy of Resistance by László Krasznahorkai***** My third Krasznahorkai book . . . and maybe the last one I can put my hands on for the nonce. I really, really loved this one. Maybe my favorite. Of course, since Werckmeister Harmonies was based on this novel, and since it's one of my favorite movies ever, it's hard to be objective about the novel. But yeah, read it. Hey, the sentences are a lot shorter in this one than the other two, so it might be a good place to start your Krasznahorkai journey.
51. The Sculptor by Scout McCloud**** Mos def worth reading, so don't get me wrong. A very touching story at times, an interesting premise (in terms of the mode of sculpting, not the deal with Death thing, which we've seen several million times), and some great characters. That said . . . something was missing for me. Part of it was that the main character was kind of a pain in the ass--beyond the acceptable parameters of main character pain in the assedness. For instance, when he goes on his underground sculpting schtick, he seems to go out of his way to fuck up things in a way that has a negative impact on other people. In fact, most of his "work" is essentially stealing other people's stuff and fucking it up. I don't think you can create art out of that kind of immoral perspective. And the art . . . well, it really wasn't anything I would call good, you know? Polynesian tourist trinkets, or something like that, is how one character maligned it. The best part of this was the creation of the character of Meg, who was, let's just say it, kind of hot. Also self-absorbed, immature, and all of that, but hey, hot is hot. This is why men put up with pretty women, after all--since most of them are pains in the ass. The price you pay for pretty. Oh, yeah, there's also an interesting little bit about absolute versus relative standards, but it is really little more than a ship that passes in the night. I would have preferred a cruise on that vessel--maybe one less temper tantrum scene as a trade-off. (There were a lot of temper tantrums.) But still . . . it's worth your time, I promise. And the book is well-put-together, with sturdy sewn binding and good paper stock to show off Scott's pretty pictures.
52. Wild's End**** by Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard I bought the first issue of this is paper form and enjoyed it quite a bit, but didn't feel like shelling out $3.99 per issue, so I let it slide. Maybe I was thinking that I'd look for the trade paperback, maybe thinking I would scoop it out of the half-price box at some point. Don't remember. But didn't have to do either, as Scribd put the whole thing up. Thus saving me at least $10.37 (Amazon's price for the trade paperback). (Even Comixology's price would be higher-- $11.94.) And not only did I tear right through all five issues, including some rather long text pieces at the end of each issue . . . and not only did I enjoy the hell out of it . . . but I'm actually anxious to read the next installment. Dunno when that will be coming down the pike, though. It's heartening to think that the series sold well enough that there will be a second series.
Locke and Key:
53. Welcome to Lovecraft
54. Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
55. Crown of Shadows **** all around. And yes, courtesy
56. Keys to the Kingdom of Scribd.
Been thinking about reading Locke and Key for some time, but, once again, the price tag was too big. (Best price to be found for these four volumes was on Kindle, at $39.96, for instance. Which means that Scribd just paid for itself for almost six months just for my Wild's End and Locke and Key readings. Just sayin'.) Joe Hill does a fine job of creating characters you care about without resorting to bullshit. He's also quite the plot master, and there were a couple of times wherein I had that little gaspy feeling you get when the writer does something you didn't think had a chance of happening. The art is pretty good, too. It's a little lean for my tastes, but it's clear most of the time--though I have a hard time differentiating some of the characters--and it's clean.
57. The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber****
58. Locke and Key: Clockworks by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez**** And another $10.49 saved by Scribd (cheapest price: Amazon digital).
59. Locke and Key: Alpha and Omega by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez**** Saved $11.49 this time.
Which puts me up to $72.21 Saved By Scribd . . . and a year's worth of Scribd is $107.88. Almost there!
60. Satantango by László Krasznahorkai***** I think this was my favorite of the four available Krasznahorkai novels. It was also the most accessible, and though that's not why it was my favorite, it may mean that it's a better one to start with if you're not ready for the white water rafting of Seiobo There Below. I think I would have enjoyed Seiobo more--and I did enjoy it immensely--if I'd read some of the other novels first. In fact, I'm planning on re-reading it in the very near future, so I'll holler. But my advice to you, Constant, is to give this one a whirl if I've whetted your appetite for things Hungarian. Speaking of, yes, there is a movie "based on" this book by Bela Tarr. And it's 7 1/2 hours long, so you probably don't want to jump into that just yet.
61. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Vol. 1 by Phil Hester and Andrea Di Vito**** It's been awhile since I read T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. Can't remember how long I stuck with it, but I do remember enjoying it and only quitting because of the $3.99 price tag. Now there's a shitload of it on Scribd, so I just reread the first four issues . . . and I am mos def ready for me. The writing here is good. It's witty, snappy, even funny. The art isn't exactly my cup of tea, but it is clear and clean and I would have to call it good.
62. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Vol. 2 by Phil Hester and Roger Robinson**** Wish that Scribd had Volume 3. (Oddly enough they have a Volume 4, but it's reprints of old stuff.)
63. All That Is Solid Melts into Air by Darragh McKeon**** Beautiful book. You SHOULD read it before you die, but you don't hafta. http://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-do-i-love-darragh-mckeon-let-me.html
64. Many Subtle Channels: In Praise of Potential Literature by Daniel Levin Becker**** Quite an interesting book about a French literary society--Oulipo, = Ouvroir de littérature potentielle. It took me the first 1/4th of the book or so to decide that it was a non-fiction book about a real group, as the things described sounded too bizare to be real. But a couple of Googles later . . . and there really is a novel written without using the letter E, etc. I also found this book inspiring, actually . . . made me anxious to try some new things with my own writing. Thanks, Oulipo. Thanks Daneil Levin Becker.
65. A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches From Chechnya by Anna Politkovskaya***** Not only a startling, stunning book about the debacle in Chechnya, but also a book that offers insights into the machinations of our own government. I wrote more about it here and here.
66. Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli*** I actually opened this up (on Scribd!) having conflated it with Daredevil: Year One (by the same team, but if I have to tell you that you probably aren't reading this), which may explain why I was so underwhelmed. But as I continued to read, my whelm didn't get any less under. It was okay. But it was no Year One, you know? In fact, it had more than an acceptable amount of stupid in it. So fuck that.
67. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami**** Pretty excellent stuff. The first Murakami book I've finished (Wind-Up Bird Chronicle overwhelmed me with the torture stuff, so I quit), but probably not the last. Got it from Scribd, listened to it while biking. And it was good.
68. Nightbringer by Graham McNeill*** This book (first novel in The Ultramines Omnibus . . . the first, as it turns out, since later there was a second) was everything I thought it would be: big guys in armor killing lots of people. Occasional moments of Courage and Honor, which are always nice. Some well wrought lines by McNeill, whom I like quite a bit, actually. It ain't Dickens, but it was a nice way to pass the time. Oh, yeah? Well, what the fuck did you do that was so significant? Sheesh.
69. The Star Wars by J. W. Rinzler, Mike Mayhew and a bunch of other folks.*** Interesting to see the cast and plot in utero. And some things were better . . . such as no Ewoks. Man I hate those little motherfuckers.
70. Deadpool: I Rule, You Suck by Daniel Way, Carlo Barberi, and Bong Dazo *** Pretty stupid. Pretty funny. Terrible art, though. Seeing the trailer for the Deadpool movie put me in the mood for some Deadpool, which I've never read before. So there'll be more of this.
71. Molloy by Samuel Beckett**** I liked the first section more than the second . . . for one thing, it was a helluva lot funnier . . . but it's Samuel Beckett, fer chrissakes, ya can't really go wrong here, can you? Shout out to Scribd for the audiobook.
72. They're Not Like Us Volume 1: Black Holes for the Young by Eric Stephenson and Simon Gane**** I saw issue #7 of this comic book on the stands and was immediately attracted by its cover.
It is the kind of art that I tend to favor--realistic, but with lines that aren't quite straight. And I thought the coloring was quite good as well. I picked it up and took a closer look, and that's when it hits me: there wasn't a cover. See how the indicia is there at the bottom of the page? And there's that bit of dialogue. And there't the feel of it--the front page is the same paper stock as the rest of the issue. That's when they had me. And since I live on the anal retentive side of the tracks, I didn't want to start reading the story with issue #7, so I checked out The Great Escape's trade paperbacks . . . and sure enough, there was a tpb, and it actually included issues 1 through 6. How's that for good timing? I thought I'd have to buy a back issue or two to get the complete up-to-date story. And I was quite surprised to see that the tpb cost a mere $9.99 . . . and then there was TGE's 25% discount which brought it to a mere $7.50. That's a hell of a deal for six issues of comic book. I was delighted with the art and coloring, but I found the story disturbing. A group of paranormal people go around assaulting innocent people and stealing, etc. Fortunately my ire was somewhat quelled by the fact that the lead character was also disturbed by these behaviors. I read all seven issues in one gulp, and I do find myself anxious to read some more . . . but I can't say that I'm completely sure about this comic. More news at it happens.
73. Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles by Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey***** Geoff Emerick was kind of a pain in the ass at times . . . whiny and a bit too full of himself . . . and that put me off, but in the end, the story he told was equal to my love for The Beatles. Fascinating little details about recording the albums: Ringo's shoe squeaks during the final note of "A Day in the Life," which was recorded with four pianos simultaneously playing the same chord (all of the Beatles on the keyboards, though Ringo and Paul shared); Paul yells, "Fucking hell!" after the second "the minute you let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better" in "Hey Jude"; after the drum solo in "The End," the guitar solo is actually three guitar solos, each played by a different Beatle--the first you hear is John, the second George, and the last (and for my money the best) Paul; the bash that comes before "Her Majesty" is actually the last note of "Mean Mr. Mustard"--the song was originally placed between "MMM" and "Polythene Pam," but Paul decided it didn't work there and had the engineer cut it out (literally) . . . the engineer fucked up a little bit, hence the bit of "MMM," and Paul also told the engineer to throw "Her Majesty" away, but that was against EMI policy, so he put it at the end of the tape after the leader, and when the tapes were cut to acetate and played back there was the long gap after "The End," then the crash of that first chord and "Her Majesty," and McCartney liked it, and the rest is history. Awesome shit. Left me wanting to know more, so I found another book about the Beatles and started reading that. Also solidified my idea that Paul was the dominant factor in making The Beatles The Beatles.
74. Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn*** This book had some great moments, but it just didn't hang together that well for me. For one thing, there were some rather extended "flourishes" that I thought detracted from the story. For instance, the listing of terms for being drunk which seemed to go on forever. For another instance, the excerpt from a play which I thought was really bad. Which may have been the point, but if it was, the point kept poking far longer than needed. I would be interested in taking a look at something else that Nick Flynn wrote, though.
75. The Wallcreeper by Nell Zink*** I was pretty enthused about reading Nell Zink after reading the great quote from her in The New York Times Book Review: "Why bother writing a book that someone else could write--just a historical novel that you research in libraries and on the internet? . . . If I'm going to add a book to the endless mass of Books out there, then it should be a book that only I can write." And there certainly were some good bits in The Wallcreeper:
" . . . . reproductive urges will serve as an alibi for just about anything."
“Every woman is unique in her own way and most of them are pieces of shit."
"He lacked an event horizon."
"Disgust is a prerequisite for love.”
“If people spent more time being disgusted, the world would be a better place."
"If you say you have principles, you’ve just admitted you have no hope of ever getting rich.”
"I learned that I wasn’t a feminist. Even men in their seventies, talking to me after meetings about an impending block party or the proper sorting of garbage, would raise their eyebrows when I said I had followed my husband from Philadelphia to Berne and then Berlin. I couldn’t come up with a step I’d taken in life for my own sake. On my own behalf, to make myself happy, I’d done all kinds of things, all of them with the aim of staying close to a man. It hadn’t occurred to me to be ashamed of myself. I’d thought love was a socially acceptable motivation. But to right-thinking Germans, I was a mindless whore . . . . "
"I know now that no one on Earth, or at least no one outside the grounds of the Playboy Mansion, is as venal as I am . . . . "
"I caught the bus from the airport with a young woman whose hair was lacquered into a ponytail as hard and shiny as a shrimp."
"Without the tips of icebergs, humankind would already be very lonely."
"Our society works hard to make food and sex as scarce as beauty and love.”
Hmmmm. Quite a few parts that I deemed good, it seems. But I have to say that the book kind of turned me off as well, and I think part of my problem with it was the fact that the lead character was married but had sex with other men. Which isn't particularly fair in terms of making an aesthetic evaluation based upon personal standards of morality . . . but hey, it's my soap, my water . . . . I think I'll still read Nell Zink's second book, though. It's entitled Mislaid. Hmmmmmm.
76. Deadpool Team-Up Volume 3: BFFs by Lots of People*** The trailer for the upcoming Deadpool movie was so good (and funny) that I had to read me some Deadpool. Fortunately LFPL and Scribd had some, so I didn't have to pay. This is the first one I finished. The art is uniformly terrible . . . what the fuck is up with that? But the stories are ridiculous and funny, which is what I was looking for.
77. The Homeland Directive by Robert Venditti and Mike Huddleston** Well, there's another ten and a half bucks that Scribd saved me. I actually thought this looked kind of interesting from the cover . . . but that was as interesting as it got, and
it was a quick downhill from there. The story was okay . . . a little "conspiracy theory" type story, and I'm always fond of them . . . but there weren't any surprises, and the art . . . well, the art was kind of shit, I thought. Surprised, as this was from Top Shelf, whose publications are usually . . . well, top shelf. C'est la vie.
78. Tarzan and the Leopard Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs (6/28/15 - 9/18/15)** Yeah, another not-very-good adventure. 18th Tarzan . . . still no Jane . . . and just kind of the same old same old. But onward to #19.
79. The Creep by John Arcudi and Jonathan Case**** The story was quite good, but it's Jonathan Case who really kicked my ass on this one. Beautiful artwork. I'm going on a hunt. More news as it happens.
80. Animal inside by László Krasznahorkai and Max Neumann*** Another little bitty book for László. At the note little bitty price of $15. Only for you, László, only for you.
81. Mislaid by Nell Zink*** A better book than The Wallcreeper, but I think I liked it less, actually. It was more of a novel that could have been written by not Nell Zink. In fact, I feel as if my Nell Zink stomach is full now.
82. Beyond Apollo by Barry Malzberg****, maybe ***** if you "do" science fiction (and never refer to it as "sic-fi"). It's been a long time since I read Malzberg. And big surprise, I owe my reacquaintance to Scribd, where for some reason (I wasn't actually looking for Barry) I bumped into Beyond Apollo. And what an excellent novel it is. Very odd, which is the way I like it (uh-huh, uh-huh). So of course I started reading another Malzberg . . . Breakfast in the Ruins, which I actually bought from Amazon. I don't do that very often. I'm about halfway through that now and having some problems, but I still want more Malzberg.
83. Uncle $crooge and Donald Duck: "The Sun of the Sun" The Don Rosa Library Volume 1.**** Some damned good comics, for sure. I'm hoping that LFPL has some more volumes of this.
84. Breakfast in the Ruins by Barry Malzberg****
A bit repetitious at times . . . and a bit too dour at times . . . usually both at the same time . . . but it's Barry Malzberg, man. And Barry kicks ass. I bought this as an ebook since it wasn't available on Scribd or at LFPL in any form, and I might do that again as I'm now hankering for The Destruction of the Temple, which I vaguely remember from the days of my youth when I was told what it means to be a ma-an. Chess and JFK and pee stains and stuff.
85. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis**** Recommended by X-1. She and I usually have quite different tastes in "the arts," but she was enthusiastic about this book, and I am now, too. Sidebar: there is no Wikipedia entry for Ayana Mathis, despite the fact that this was a pretty damned big book. I smell racism.
86. First Heretic: Fall to Chaos (The Horus Heresy Book 14) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden**** I have enjoyed several Horus Heresy books previously, but this one was different. Good different. As in I didn't feel like I was reading the same book over again. Might not be a bad place to start if you're interested in Warhammer 40,000 and / or The Horus Heresy, since it kinda sorta is the beginning of the whole rebellion thing. Hence the title.
87. Preacher: Proud Americans (Volume 3) by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon*
88. Fantastic Four: War Zone by Greg Cox (6/15 to 11/12/15) Have to admit that I'm hard pressed to evaluate this book. It seemed okay. But the reason I'm not sure . . . is that Joe read this one to me! That's right, it's the second book that he's read aloud to me. Very exciting. It was a tad difficult for him at times, which was part of my comprehension problem, but I listened to it intently and he gave it a good go. And he's ready to read me another book, so this time I went looking for one of those old hardbound "adaption" types I remembered from my own youth . . . you know, the Baronet things . . . maybe the Whitman things, if memory serves . . . . Anyway, we're going back to Merry Olde next. Details when they happen.
89. Saga: Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples***
90. Saga: Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples**** This is where it really started kicking in for me. Hope it keeps here or rises in the next two volumes.
91. The Macmillan Book of 366 Bible Stories by Roberto Brunelli*** Well, you know. It's a kid version of the Bible, but still . . . they didn't have to take such liberties with the material. Can't believe that (1) Jacqueline wanted to read this, since it was given to her by Clare, for whom she does not harbor good feelings, and (2) this is the first book Jacqueline and I have finished in 2015. Of course, we are reading the unabridged Les Miserables and the Orthodox Bible, though . . . .
92. Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine***** Absolutely brilliant. And beautiful. I want to read everything Adrian Tomine has done. LFPL has a few of his books. In fact, I already picked up Scrapbook and will get serious about reading that asap.
93. Scrapbook: Uncollected Work, 1990-2004 by Adrian Tomine***** More beautiful about people and buildings. Sometimes Adrian Tomine reminds me of Jamie Hernandez. Sometimes he just reminds me of Adrian Tomine. But he's soo good. Feed me more.
94. Saga: Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples****
This is the new stuff, I go dancing in (we go dancing in).
95. Saga: Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples***** In fact, go back and make all the volumes of Saga *****s. What a fantastic bit of comic bookery.
96. Old Wounds by Russell Lissau and artist John Bivens*** It was good. And from a teeny tiny company, so worth supporting.
97. Morning Glories Volume1: For a Better Future by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma** There are eight more collections of Morning Glories. I don't expect I'll be reading any of them. It wasn't bad exactly. But it was exceedingly gross at times for no discernible reason, the art was sub-standard (except for the excellent covers), and it just felt kind of familiar. In a tired way.
98. We Are on Our Own by Miriam Katin****
99. Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle**** Good stuff. A Drawn and Quarterly book, by the way. Want more of that. I think I want more of this Guy Delisle fellow, too.
100. Tarzan's Quest by Edgar Rice Burroughs (9/20 to 12/7/15)*** Well, Jane was back . . . finally, it's been like ten books or something since we last saw her . . . so that's worth an extra star, ennit?
101. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs**** I can't remember why I picked this up. It had something to do with finding out that I found out that the story was based on a series of pictures. But it was quite a good read. In fact, I'm probably going to go right into the second book . . . which LFPL has been kind enough to send to my Kindle.
102. Thirteen Ways of Looking by Colum McCann***** Colum McCann is a truly great writer. This book of short(-ish) stories really hits hard, especially the final story. He writes beautifully about things that matter. What more could you ask?
103. Berlin: City of Stones: Book One (Part 1) by Jason Lutes**** Another superb Drawn and Quarterly production . . . though this time the physical production quality doesn't match the norm in that the binding is cheap, Kinko's style, so the copy I got from the library had already split. Which is a shame, because Jason Lutes has produced an awesome piece of work here. I've already requested the second volume from LFPL, and just now found out that it's actually printed as a "regular" comic book before it's collected, so I'll have to keep an eye out for that as well. Just when you think that there's not much good going on in the comic book world you find something brilliant that you've overlooked. Yep.
104. Submission by Michel Houellebecq****
Here's some stuff I particularly liked:
"You have to take an interest in something in life, I told myself. I wondered what could interest me, now that I was finished with love. I could take a course in wine tasting, maybe, or even start collecting model airplanes."
"For men, love is nothing more than gratitude for the gift of pleasure . . . . "
"As for her blowjobs, I'd never encountered anything like them. She approached each one as if it were her first, and would be her last. Any single one of them would have been enough to justify a man's existence."
"My life would have been truly tedious and dreary if I hadn't, every now and then, fucked Myriam."
"Highways are never crowded on Sunday morning. That's the moment when society takes a deep breath and decongests, when its members give themselves the brief illusion of an individual existence."
"The mere will to live was clearly no match for the pains and aggravations that punctuate the life of the average Western man."
"The intellectual leaps I made when I was young were a distant memory to me, and now I was surrounded by a kind of aura, when really my only goal in life was to do a little reading and get in bed at four in the afternoon with a carton of cigarettes and a bottle; and yet, at the same time, I had to admit, I was going to die if I kept that up--I was going to die fast, unhappy and alone. And did I really want to die fast, unhappy and alone? In the end, only kind of."
" . . . civilizations die not by murder but by suicide . . . . " (Arnold J. Toynbee)
"The past is always beautiful. So, for that matter, is the future. Only the present hurts, and we carry it around like an abscess of suffering, our companion between two infinities of happiness and peace."
" . . . if the human species has any ability to adapt, this is due entirely to the intellectual plasticity of women. Man is completely ineducable."
Now reading . . .
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (in the 500s now)
The Bible
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Joshua E. Hanft 11/13/15 to
Tarzan and the Forbidden City (12/10/15 to
Existence by David Brin
Warriors of Ultramar by Graham McNeill
And about a half-dozen other things that I keep forgetting to mention.
And then there's
The Collected Essays of T. H. Huxley on hold
U.S.A. by John Dos Passos on hold
Discovering God Through the Daily Practice of His Presence: Orthodox Spirituality for Everyday
Living, by Anthony M. Coniaris
on hold
The Riven Kingdom (Godspeaker Book Two) by Karen Miller on hold
2014 mia
2013
