• Literature

    In Memoriam

    My father passed away a week and a half ago. I don’t normally go into anything too personal here, but in a way he’s very relevant to this weblog. I’ve never met someone who read as much as he did. It was what he loved to do, more than anything else. He would always have a book or an e-reader with him. I like to think I read quite a bit, especially when I’m really enjoying a novel, but he kept up the pace constantly for his entire life. He’s the only person I’ve ever seen read in a casino. He could read fast too. He’d often recommend a series…

  • Film

    The Book Thief Trailer

    I didn’t even know they were making a movie based on The Book Thief, which I read this time last year, but this was released a few days ago: I was really digging the trailer until the 90s voiceover started, but it does really look promising. It seems they’ve dropped Death as the narrator, which is a shame as that really added a lot to the story in my opinion, but I can see that being tricky to film. And who knows, maybe he there but just wasn’t featured in the trailer. Geoffrey Rush as Hans is a terrific choice, I think.

  • Books Read

    Lullaby

    Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk Published: 2002 It was a hot afternoon, and I was lying over the covers on my bed next to a cute girl. The open window to our right cooled us with a light breeze as we both read our separate books. She told me she was reading about a girl who decided to live a greener life by making a small change every day for a year. She said it was informative, inspirational, funny, and changing her for the better. Then she asked what I was reading, to which I had to respond, “It’s a book about an old African song…that…kills babies.” Oh. So I read…

  • Books Read

    On a Pale Horse

    On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony Published: 1983 This is my first Piers Anthony novel. My dad was a big fan of him when I was growing up, and I always saw his books lying around the house. Curiosity got the best of me, and I thought I’d start with his most famous. Zane is a would-be photographer who has fallen on rough times. The story begins with him in an enchantments store looking for something that will change his life for the better, even though he can barely afford food. It’s an interesting scene, and does a good job of introducing the world. On A Pale Horse is…

  • Books Read

    Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

    Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (audio) by Mary Roach Published: 2003 Narrated by: Shelly Frasier What uses are there for cadavers? How have they been acquired over the years? What eventually happens to them? These are the questions that Mary Roach sets out to answer in this surprisingly funny, and often disgusting, book. We begin with an introduction into how they’re used medically. From anatomy students to a plastic surgery workshop, the cadavers help train our medical professionals so they don’t screw up on the living. I couldn’t help but imagine accidentally walking in on that plastic surgery workshop just before it had started – a large conference…

  • Books Read

    A Long Way Down

    A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby Published: 2005 Years ago I read How to be Good and really enjoyed it. I wasn’t enamoured enough to run out and immediately to buy his entire bibliography, but I did mean to eventually get back to him. Better late than never, I figure. I’m extremely glad I finally did, because I ended up loving this. The premise is simple but genius: four strangers climb to the top of an apartment building in London on New Years Eve with the intention of jumping to their deaths, but when they find each other up there it just kills the whole mood. After some discussion,…

  • Books Read

    As I Lay Dying

    As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Published: 1930 I tried to read this once before, but I eventually gave up after some confusion. I had the same issues this time around to begin with, but I decided to persevere. The plot is fairly simple, actually. It’s set in the fictional county of Yoknapatawpha, Mississippi, and it follows the family of newly deceased Addie Bundren as they try to uphold her wish to be buried in the town of Jefferson. Never has a book been so simple and yet so bloody confusing. The plot is straight-forward, and the writing isn’t too hard to follow, especially compared to some other stream-of-consciousness…