Monday, January 11, 2010
Read or Die
I remember when I was a teenager we used to scrawl "Sk8 or Die" all over the place. um, yeah, I hung out with a bunch of skate punks. duh. I couldn't care less about skaters these days (although Tony Hawk is aging nicely, no?) but I do still care about making counter culture statements so I have co-opted the sentiment for my own geeky needs.
I went through a period of not reading which is very, very unlike me. When I have to fill out those "About Me" things... for instance on certain social networking websites... I always say "I love books like I love air" in the "favorite books" section. Picking a favorite book feels almost sacriligious. But I digress. I have jumped back on the reading horse with a vengenance and I feel much more well rounded. More complete. Less like I want to commit hari kari when the going gets tough. Hence the catchphrase.
Since the holidays I have read a pile and I thought I would share a thought or two:
Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb - This one was really cute and lighthearted. Wally Lamb is an incredible writer. Its about a school year in the life of a kid in the 1960's who is related to Annette Funicello
Company by Max Barry - This was a little less great than all the hype about it but overall it was enjoyable. I won't give away the twist but basically its about a recent biz school grad who gets a job at a company and subsequently discovers that no one knows that the company does or sells.
Jennifer Government by Max Barry - Jennifer Gov't was based on an interesting idea and it was pretty well written but I guess a lot of it was predictable, kind of like Company. I think Max Barry has some original concepts but somehow the execution gets boring.
Generation A by Douglas Coupland - I love Douglas Coupland. This wasn't as fabulous as Microserfs but it was pretty darn good. I read some reviews that said the "themes" were too blatant and kind of shoved down the reader's throat but I really didn't mind. The characters were well developed and I thought the blatantness of the themes actually lent a sense of realism. Its about the not-too-distant future where bees have become extinct and 5 people who randomly get stung.
The Average American Male by Chad Kultgen - AAM is some of the most offensive material I have read since Tucker Max. But I couldn't put it down. I would be horrified... but probably less than suprised... is this is really the kind of stuff that goes on in the minds of men. I'm not sure how/why this kind of misogyny and immaturity is so enticing. I guess its like a trainwreck - you don't want to admit it, but you can't look away.
Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan - Not earth shattering but a pretty good read. Pretty chuckle worthy throughout. Its about the hijinks of a slacker who you sort of want to hate but also kind of feel sorry for and a sort of murder mystery he gets himself involved in.
Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster - I just started this one and I have to admit I resisted it for a long time. I thought it was chick lit - in the vein of Jennifer Weiner (who is a great writer but I'm just tired of chick lit). But it turns out she is more like a super snarky Laurie Notaro or a much funnier Chelsea Handler.
I went through a period of not reading which is very, very unlike me. When I have to fill out those "About Me" things... for instance on certain social networking websites... I always say "I love books like I love air" in the "favorite books" section. Picking a favorite book feels almost sacriligious. But I digress. I have jumped back on the reading horse with a vengenance and I feel much more well rounded. More complete. Less like I want to commit hari kari when the going gets tough. Hence the catchphrase.
Since the holidays I have read a pile and I thought I would share a thought or two:
Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb - This one was really cute and lighthearted. Wally Lamb is an incredible writer. Its about a school year in the life of a kid in the 1960's who is related to Annette Funicello
Company by Max Barry - This was a little less great than all the hype about it but overall it was enjoyable. I won't give away the twist but basically its about a recent biz school grad who gets a job at a company and subsequently discovers that no one knows that the company does or sells.
Jennifer Government by Max Barry - Jennifer Gov't was based on an interesting idea and it was pretty well written but I guess a lot of it was predictable, kind of like Company. I think Max Barry has some original concepts but somehow the execution gets boring.
Generation A by Douglas Coupland - I love Douglas Coupland. This wasn't as fabulous as Microserfs but it was pretty darn good. I read some reviews that said the "themes" were too blatant and kind of shoved down the reader's throat but I really didn't mind. The characters were well developed and I thought the blatantness of the themes actually lent a sense of realism. Its about the not-too-distant future where bees have become extinct and 5 people who randomly get stung.
The Average American Male by Chad Kultgen - AAM is some of the most offensive material I have read since Tucker Max. But I couldn't put it down. I would be horrified... but probably less than suprised... is this is really the kind of stuff that goes on in the minds of men. I'm not sure how/why this kind of misogyny and immaturity is so enticing. I guess its like a trainwreck - you don't want to admit it, but you can't look away.
Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan - Not earth shattering but a pretty good read. Pretty chuckle worthy throughout. Its about the hijinks of a slacker who you sort of want to hate but also kind of feel sorry for and a sort of murder mystery he gets himself involved in.
Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster - I just started this one and I have to admit I resisted it for a long time. I thought it was chick lit - in the vein of Jennifer Weiner (who is a great writer but I'm just tired of chick lit). But it turns out she is more like a super snarky Laurie Notaro or a much funnier Chelsea Handler.
// posted by Stephanie Cake @ 1/11/2010 08:05:00 PM 
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