trinityofone

I am so far behind on this, my laughter looks like tears. The below if a little under half of what I still have to write up. To quote my many whiny emails to

wychwood, "Oh dear."

Week 39-Something: September 24-October Something (I may or may not fix this later. It involves counting, which is almost like math, so...)

( 216. Paradise News — David Lodge ) I can’t decide if it’s a better entry point to his work than Changing Places or not. Oh, whatever. Just read both.

( 217. Soon I Will Be Invincible — Austin Grossman ) unless you’re the frickin’ Great Gatsby—which is transcendent in its tragedy—I really don’t need you, book, to make me feel sad and hopeless.

( 218. Looking for Alaska — John Green ) I just like his writing style so much I wish he’d write An Ideal Book Just For Me. I never said I wasn’t selfish!

( 219. Empire of Ivory — Naomi Novik )

( 220. Pride of Baghdad — Brian K. Vaughan ) A good book to show people who think comics are just for kids. (You could also rap them on the knuckles with it.)

( 221. Souls and Bodies — David Lodge ) I'm very much enjoying having a different Lodge novel to read every few weeks, and will be sad when I run out.

( 222. Extras — Scott Westerfeld ) I'm much, much happier having this, instead of Specials, as my final impression of the Uglies world and these characters, and that's worth a lot, I think.

( 223. Like a Hole in the Head — Jen Banbury ) Sometimes what's missing is just intangible.

( 224. & 226. Y: The Last Man — Paper Dolls & Kimono Dragons — Brian K. Vaughan ) The main narrative is still really cool, and I wish my library would hurry up and get Vol. 9 in already.

( 225. The Gum Thief — Douglas Coupland ) this is up there with my favorites of his, and continues to give me hope that he will one day produce something that's not just Really Good, but Transcendent.

( 227. The House Next Door — Anne Rivers Siddons ) Nice foundation, but otherwise, pretty shoddy workmanship, IMO.

( 228. A Place So Foreign — Cory Doctorow ) these stories really did leave me feeling stranded, like a foreigner.

( 229. Monkey Girl — Beth Lisick ) I'm not sure if this book would do much for you if the San Francisco/Berkeley scene isn't one with which you're familiar, but I liked it.

( 230. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao — Junot Diaz ) Incredibly worth reading, but odd and, ultimately, a little disappointing.

Total Books: 230 (for now)

What am I doing with these puns? PLEASE SOMEBODY TELL ME.

( 203. Y: The Last Man — Ring of Truth — Brian K. Vaughan )

( 204. Spaceman Blues — Brian Francis Slattery ) Hopefully I'll be able to return to it in a few more years and get more out of it.

( 205. A Brother's Price — Wen Spencer ) If I were betaing this, I would have sent it back and asked her to think it through a bit more.

( 206. 'Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy — Gavin Edwards ) the illustrations were often genuinely funny themselves, and far beyond the quality of those usually found in this type of book.

( 207. Y: The Last Man — Girl on Girl — Brian K. Vaughan ) Vaughan very well might not leave things this way, but it's how the volume ends, so until the library coughs up No. 7, I'm gonna have to stick with be peeved.

( 208. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim — David Sedaris ) I would have much rather found Me Talk Pretty One Day for 50¢ and reread that.

( 209. Greenwitch — Susan Cooper )I was pretty bored. I'm glad all three books are now on their way to people who, hopefully, will get more enjoyment out of them.

( 210. At Large and at Small — Anne Fadiman ) it was still really good. This may be because Fadiman reminds me of my mom, but if so, neither of them needs to know that.

( 211. Farthing — Jo Walton ) there is a sequel coming—in just over a week, in fact. *wants*

( 212. One Red Paperclip — Kyle MacDonald )Luckily, I didn't buy this book, either—I traded for it, and I've since traded it for something else. I hope MacDonald is proud of me.

( 213. Snake Agent — Liz Williams ) This was a well-plotted, exciting mystery with great character interaction; I can't wait to read the next one.

( 214. Eternals — Neil Gaiman ) it's really not up to what I consider to be the usual Gaiman-standards. It's nothing to get excited about.

( 215. Fever Pitch — Nick Hornby )

Total Books: 215

Could I be any more behind?

This is so huge I'm splitting it into two posts.

Weeks 35-38: 27 August—23 September

( 189. The Secrets of the Heart — Kasey Michaels )I was relieved to be done with this. That's really not the reaction you want to have.

( 190. Skipping Towards Gomorrah — Dan Savage ) if everyone put as much thought and consideration into all these issues as Savage does, I think the country would be in much better shape.

( 191. The Fourth Procedure — Stanley Pottinger )So not worth it.

( 192. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures — Vincent Lam ) There are several more (and more universal) shock moments in this book; it is worth reading just for those.

( 193. Chicken With Plums — Marjane Satrapi ) The result is not as "important" as Persepolis—that's a feast—but a rare and perfect snack.

( 194 & 196. Flight (Vols. 2 & 3) — Ed. by Kazu Kibuishi ) I'm glad my library had them and that I didn't fork out the 25 bucks each costs.

( 195. Cirque Du Freak — Darren Shan ) I'm getting out now.

( 197. Savage Love — Dan Savage ) people are 1) dumb about sex and relationships and 2) into some kinky shit. But then I knew all that.

( 198. Shelf Life — Suzanne Strempek Shea ) it left me feeling dissatisfied; it left me cold.

( 199. The Steampunk Trilogy — Paul Di Filippo ) There's nothing to take seriously here.

( 200. Bad Monkeys — Matt Ruff ) Maybe I expected too much from Ruff—based solely on an excerpt from Set This House in Order—but I was deeply disappointed.

( 201. Mr. Impossible — Loretta Chase ) this book is already winging its way to someone in Romania via BookMooch.

( 202. She Went All the Way — Meggin Cabot )I still think there must be good Romances out there, and that I'm just clearly not finding them. However, I think I need to take a break from the genre for a while.

New job is pretty good so far—the people are nice, I'm occupied but not overwhelmed, and I'm learning interesting new things about Photoshop and Dreamweaver. The only drawbacks so far appear to be the commute (an hour and a half each way—dreadful) and the fact that my desk is right at the front, directly in my boss' line of sight, so no looking at LJ and only minimal checking of e-mail is possible. *sad* So once again I am exhausted and behind on everything. But at least I'm making money?

Here's one of the things I'm behind on:

Weeks 31—34: 30 July—26 August

( 169. Wonder Boys — Michael Chabon ) it's a really good book. But it's a FABULOUS movie.

( 170. Persepolis 2 — Marjane Satrapi )Not quite as good as Persepolis, but still excellent.

( 171. Embroideries — Marjane Satrapi ) Satrapi as usual is great at conveying character and telling stories. I only wish it had been longer.

( 172 & 178-180. Y: The Last Man -- Unmanned, Cycles, One Small Step, & Safeword — Brian K. Vaughan ) highly, highly recommended.

( 173. My Sister, Guard Your Veil; My Brother, Guard Your Eyes — Ed. by Lila Azam Zanganeh ) I would love to read more good books about Iran and the Iranian experience.

( 174. InterWorld — Neil Gaiman & Michael Reaves ) This would have made an even better show than a book, dammit.

( 175. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Ahab — Gideon Defoe ) I believe I was somewhat pleasantly diverted for about an hour at the time?

( 176. These Old Shades — Georgette Heyer )Before I read These Old Shades, I was planning to read The Grand Sophy soon, but now I'm not so sure; Shades turned me off, and I also heard that Sophy has a really ugly Jewish stereotype in it. Those of you who've read it: what do you think?

( 177. The Kid — Dan Savage ) The whole book is a fascinating, engaging, political, emotional read. I really recommend it.

( 181 & 184. Over Sea, Under Stone & The Dark Is Rising — Susan Cooper ) I suppose I didn't like The Lord of the Rings, either.

( 182. The Commitment — Dan Savage ) I'm looking forward to reading more of Savage's work.

( 183. Serenity: Those Left Behind — Joss Whedon, et. al. ) I'm glad to have finally read this, I guess, but it was really not worth the desperate efforts to get it over the last several years.

( 185. The Sharing Knife: Legacy — Lois McMaster Bujold ) the plot of this book could have gone somewhere more interesting. Maybe if Fawn and Dag had set out on their journey a little earlier. Or maybe that's a book she still intends to write? I'd definitely read it.

( 186. The Lies of Locke Lamora — Scott Lynch ) the relationships between the characters, especially Locke and Jean, make the "gah!" moments well worth it. I've already gotten my hands on the sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies, and am most pleased.

( 187. Heart-Shaped Box — Joe Hill ) it's a good novel, yeah, but not a great one; I really do wish Hill's spark of originality could have burned a little bit longer. Maybe in the next one.

( 188. Prime Times — Ed. by Douglas Bauer ) I feel like this same idea could be done in a much more interesting way. Maybe when fandom finally takes over the world?

Total Books: 188

And finally, something that cheered me up and made my whole week better:

The Doctor, Martha, and the Master, meeting Rodney and Vala as space pirates. Possibly at an alien cantina? by

anna_luna. This is possibly the greatest piece of fanart, ever in the history of fanart. *loves insanely*

Current Mood: awake

Oh man. Please remind me to NEVER AGAIN go so long without updating this. Bad Trin! No biscuit for me.

Weeks 26—30: 25 June—29 July

( 149. The Caves of Steel — Isaac Asimov ) I wish I'd read it when I was younger and less likely to be distracted by perviness.

( 150. Alanna: The First Adventure — Tamora Pierce ) I may pick up the rest in the series if I can get the cranky librarians to stop giving me weird looks.

( 151. The Ordinary Princess — M.M. Kaye ) Shut up, brain. Sometimes I am just cranky.

( 152. Uncharted Territory — Connie Willis ) that one twist—I do feel like all the annoying stuff was worth wading through for that. I'm glad I did.

( 153. All-Consuming Fire — Andy Lane ) I love both worlds so I enjoyed it.

( 154. Michael Tolliver Lives — Armistead Maupin ) It's a step up from "All straight women are EVIL!", anyway.

( 155. & 156. Go Jump in the Pool! & Beware the Fish! — Gordon Korman ) If you want to *wink* find out more *wink* I recommend joining

scrimmettes. *continues to be very subtle*

( 157. An Invisible Sign of My Own — Aimee Bender ) Just...really not for me.

( 158. Making History — Stephen Fry ) this was a romp in the best sense of the word, with a good dose of underlying scariness. Recommended.

( 159. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — J.K. Rowling (ONLY VERY MINOR SPOILERS HEREIN — I TRIED VERY HARD TO KEEP MY DISCUSSION THEMATIC AND VAGUE) )For those who are interested, there's some actually spoilery discussion in this post here. (And spoilery comments should probably be directed there, too, instead of here.)

( 160. Rereadings — Ed. by Anne Fadiman )All in all, this was an enjoyable collection, but unlike Fadiman's solo effort, the fantastic Ex Libris, one I'm glad I got from the library instead of purchasing; in other words, most likely not a book I will be rereading.

( 161. & 165. Bimbos of the Death Sun & Zombies of the Gene Pool — Sharyn McCrumb )So, I found these books both enjoyable and incredibly infuriating. I honestly can't make a recommendation about whether I think other people should read them or not.

( 162. Literacy and Longing in L.A. — Jennifer Kaufman & Karen Mack )Well-written and at times moving, but also somehow off. *peers at it*

( 163. The Eight Doctors — Terrance Dicks ) *skips to Fitz books*

( 164. On the Verge, or the Geography of Yearning — Eric Overmyer ) despite that fault (in myself) I enjoyed this. Which speaks very highly of it, I think.

( 166. Twilight — Stephenie Meyer ) Angel at his most pathetic emo mopiness had more spine.

( 167. Persepolis — Marjane Satrapi ) read this book. Personally, I will be hunting down the sequel.

( 168. Complications — Atul Gawande ) If you're at all interested in medicine, or enjoy watching Scrubs or House or any of those shows, this is really well worth checking out.

Total Books: 168

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: U2, "Rejoice"

Week 25: 18-24 June

( 143. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh — Michael Chabon ) this was totally worth reading, and actually makes me want to go read more of Chabon's work, but it has Y HALO THAR FIRST NOVEL written all over it.

( 144. Terry: Terry Fox and His Marathon of Hope — Douglas Coupland ) Without being sappy at all, this book—and Terry Fox's story—shows how one person really can make an enormous difference.

( 145. Sherlock Holmes in Orbit — Ed. by Mike Resnick, et. al. )the collection as a whole was quite enjoyable. Though I wish someone would give Watson a bit more love. *pouts*

( 146. Seven Daughters and Seven Sons — Barbara Cohen & Bahija Lovejoy ) besides this and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, does anybody know of any other good crossdressing/genderfuck-y YA novels?

( 147. Twin Study — Stacey Richter ) I am now a full-out Stacey Richter devotee; I can't wait to see what she does next. (I wish she'd write a novel.)

( 148. Book Lust — Nancy Pearl ) It's really not for reading, but for referring to. Still, it seems like it may turn out to be a handy resource.

Total Books: 148

Finally, ( Here is a picture of my cat )

D'awww! Doesn't he look like his body was run over by a truck and there's just his little head perched on top? He is the famed FLAT CAT.

Is it wrong that I now want people to make Lolcats of my cat? He can be famous on the internets!

Current Mood: silly
Current Music: Led Zeppelin, "Immigrant Song"

1. CR and I had an awesome housewarming party on Saturday *waves to

akukorax,

iamsab,

ebrooklynw,

chele74, &

nenar*; I drank an entire bottle of wine, which, okay, was maybe not the best idea, but seriously, how come I STILL feel hungover and gross? That's not fair, man. Good times should lead to good feelings, I think.

2. I'm loving Doctor Who so much right now it kind of hurts.

3.

sgabigbang kicked my ass some more.

4. I turned down a job offer, because it paid badly and seemed degrading. Watch me regret this when I subsequently have to work at McDonald's!

5. Books:

Week 24: 11-17 June

( 137. The Assault on Reason — Al Gore ) this was not a pleasant read—I spent most of the time gripping the binding more and more tightly and getting angrier and angrier. It is an important book to read, though—though I worry of course that most of the people who do read it will be, how shall I say, the choir? That's the real question, I think—how can we reach out to those people who don't necessarily agree with us, who are not necessarily so well informed? Gore thinks the internet might hold the key. I don't know. I just don't know.

( 138. The Dreyfus Affair — Peter Lefcourt ) I literally devoured it in one sitting—I don't think I even got up to use the bathroom.

( 139. An Abundance of Katherines — John Green ) I loved it a lot.

( 140. The Areas of My Expertise — John Hodgman ) Will possibly try again later—the hoboes will still be there, of course, planning their revolution.

( 141. Sarah Canary — Karen Joy Fowler ) This book, however, felt like the efforts of a really interesting novelist that just utterly failed to work.

( 142. A Walk in the Woods — Bill Bryson ) Not my favorite Bryson, but definitely a good one.

Total Books: 142

Now this week I really need to stop reading and really concentrate on

sgabigbang. *is doomed*

Current Mood: sick

Week 23: 4—10 June

( 129. Human Nature — Paul Cornell ) Anyway, I suspect this is only interesting if you are really into Doctor Who right now. Which I am.

( 130. The Meaning of It All — Richard P. Feynman ) This seemed to me almost like a book of psalms for irreligious people; I found it very calming.

( 131. The Beekeeper's Apprentice — Laurie R. King ) any further reading of this series is going to be at least somewhat masochistic for me.

*goes to read "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" (which has a great Watson-saves-Holmes'-life scene) to make herself feel better*

( 132. Glasshouse — Charles Stross ) In general, this was interesting and enjoyable sci-fi, but it really didn't transcend the genre.

( 133. Nice Work — David Lodge ) this book was a total pleasure; it even made me newly glad that I had read North and South. Quite a feat.

(You can look again,

akukorax *g*)

( 134. The Beautiful Miscellaneous — Dominic Smith ) it's not different enough to set it apart from the 85 billion other coming-of-age stories I've read.

( 135. Home Truths — David Lodge ) it's incredibly enjoyable; I'm loving Lodge a lot of late.

( 136. The Jane Austen Book Club — Karen Joy Fowler ) This book made me incredibly happy. Though the real question is, of course, whether it would pass the

siriaeve True Austenite test. *peers at her*

Total Books: 136

By the way? Good Reads is turning out to be a TON of fun. *pimps*

Current Mood: lethargic

Oh woe is me, my fellow angsters! There's a Drabble Tree Challenge over at

mcshep_match, and I believe we are getting our black-clad asses thoroughly walloped. Don't make me cry emo tears! (I'll ruin my eyeliner!) Dash over there (it's open through Wednesday) and help out the cause! (And yes, that goes for me as well—so far I've been too busy lying in the dark, listening to "How Soon Is Now?" to contribute.)

Go, goth army, go!

ETA: I'm going to talk to

trobadora about the posting problem. In the meantime, if you have a drabble you really want to post, please e-mail me and I guess I can put it up for you, assuming my luck holds. trinityofoneATgmailDOTcom

Now, on to the books I've been reading in the dark while listening to The Smiths (I had a flashlight).

Week 22: 28 May—3 June 2207

( 123. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland — Diana Wynne Jones ) Tolkien has a lot to answer for.

( 124. My Lucky Star — Joe Keenan ) I think what Keenan was aiming for was something like Jeeves and Wooster Do Hollywood, and he's not far off.

( 125. Vintage: A Ghost Story — Steve Berman ) The book is still compelling, but it needed a little extra oomph at the end. (Maybe Bruce Willis should've shown up just so the narrator could tell him he was already dead.)

( 126. When the Stars Come Out — Rob Byrnes ) it can't really seem to decide if it's a wacky comedy or a serious issues piece. To be both requires a delicate balancing act, and whoops, I think Byrnes just got egg on himself.

( 127. Murder on the Orient Express — Agatha Christie ) this proved a very fun way to spend a couple hours; I'm looking forward to reading more.

( 128. Hominids — Robert J. Sawyer ) it would be much more interesting if the series were about how two societies can learn from each other, rather than how some Other can save us from ourselves. (With castration! It's fun for the whole family!)

Total Books: 128

Also, calling all booklovers: have you checked out Good Reads? I think it looks like it could be a really fun, book-related networking site, but it only really works if you know other people who have accounts. Joiiiiiiin meeeeee! I'm trinityofone there, too. I want to make friends!

Current Mood: busy

I realized that I never actually owned up and explained this post. So here's the truth behind my epic porn career!

( 1. I really was in a lesbian porn movie! Really! )

Keeping with the general theme, this week I read a lot of disturbing books about weird sex.

Week 21: 21—27 May

( 117. The Far Arena — Richard Ben Sapir ) All in all, this was a fun read, but far from a great one. If I'd been alive in the '70s, I bet I would have enjoyed reading it on a plane.

( 118. This Can't Be Happening at MacDonald Hall! — Gordon Korman ) *goes back to hoping the eBay gods are kinder than the library ones and that the whole series shows up for sale*

( 119. Bear V Shark — Chris Bachelder ) However, it is very amusing to picture Stephen Colbert reading this novel. I'm thinking audio book?

( 120. The James Tiptree Award Anthology 1 — Ed. by Karen Joy Fowler, et. al. ) Anyway, this was mostly a really interesting and worthwhile collection. I hope I can get my hands on the next two volumes.

( 121. The Breast — Philip Roth ) I'd be curious to see Roth go head-to-head with Ryman. Who could disturb readers the most in fifteen rounds?

( 122. Knots and Crosses — Ian Rankin ) so many of these fictional detectives seem to be desperate, semi-pathetic loners. Does anybody have any recs for books about fabulous crime-fighting teams? (Besides Peter and Harriet, natch.)

Total Books: 122

Current Mood: lazy

A story I almost forgot to tell: a week ago I accompanied

spazatron to see a production of It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman!, which is, yes, a musical about Superman. It was at a theater at UCLA, and it was one of those fabulously weird L.A. events, where before the show we got to see Mrs. Partridge having a nice chat with the Mayor of Sunnydale in the lobby. But once we got into the theater and I received my program, I discovered something...disturbing.

The actor portraying the bad guy in this musical? Richard frickin' Kind.

*wails* OMG LUCIUS STOP FOLLOWING ME!

Not to mention singing at me! About how you've never won a Nobel Prize! As

siriaeve said, it's like you ran out of mission reports and started raiding Rodney's personal stash of nightmares! It's freaking me out!

*whimpers*

Anyway, Superman eventually defeated him, and thus made him stop talking. (And singing! *shudder*) All together now: THANK YOU, SUPERMAN!

Which brings me to the following, which I happened to have recently grabbed from the library and decided now deserved my attention...

Week 20: 14-20 May

( 111. It's Superman! — Tom De Haven ) The book is a good 425 pages long and when I reached the end all I wanted was for it to keep going. It had only just started to get gay! ;-)

( 112. At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances — Alexander McCall Smith ) the whole series could be said to be slight in length and even slighter in content.

( 113. There Will Never Be Another You — Carolyn See ) This doesn't really work. Wherever it was going, it didn't get there.

( 114. Cotton — Christopher Wilson )while individual sections of this novel are quite compelling and enjoyable wacky, it really fails to come together.

( 115. Small World — David Lodge ) Note: the cover of the 1984 British Penguin edition has an illustration of a bare-breasted woman bound by chains to the 'W' in World; this will make you incredibly popular with strange men who sit down next to you on the bus.

( 116. The Transitive Vampire — Karen Elizabeth Gordon ) Which I guess makes The Transitive Vampire an appropriate (if not especially reassuring) guide; its subtitle is A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed. Yup, that's me! *whimpers*

Total Books: 116

Current Mood: super!

Haven't been reading much. Bad, bad headaches. *sticks head in a bucket of ice*

Weeks 18 & 19: 30 April—13 May

( 104. The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs — Alexander McCall Smith ) I guess the narcotic effects are wearing off.

( 105. The Bookshop — Penelope Fitzgerald ) I finished it just after midnight and went to bed whimpering.

( 106. Sherlock Holmes Through Time and Space — Ed. by Isaac Asimov, et. al. ) What I wanted was a whole collection of stories as awesome as Neil Gaiman's "A Study in Emerald." Thankfully, that, at least, is available online.

( 107. Espresso Tales — Alexander McCall Smith ) What was the point? I have no idea.

( 108. The Devil You Know — Mike Carey ) I would very much like to read the next book. Of course, it's not available in the States. Pooh.

( 109. U.S.! — Chris Bachelder ) It's far more interesting and weird than I could possibly describe it. You should give it a read.

( 110. The Thirteenth Tale — Diane Setterfield ) This book never moved beyond the intellectual for me; it never affected my heart.

Total Books: 110

Tonight I am going to see a musical about Superman. My guess? It's gonna be kinda gay.

Current Mood: sick
Current Music: Dido, "Don't Leave Home"

I have been terribly remiss! Some lovely anonymous person gifted me with two months paid LJ time, and I seemed to forget that squeeing about it to

siriaeve and

wychwood and thinking, "I should really post about this," does not equal actually posting about this. So anyway, thank you so much, anonymous person! It is truly appreciated and not especially deserved.

(If you want to comment anonymously with a fic prompt or anything, I will do my best to try to fulfill it. By...well, by 2008, possibly.)

Also, i haven't updated my booklog in a month. It was far from my best month (that moving thing really screwed me up) but still...brace yourselves.

Weeks 14, 15, 16, & 17: 2—29 April

( 85. Blood Lines — Tanya Huff ) But I'll count this one as far from my favorite of the series so far.

( 86. You Suck — Christopher Moore ) Also, I didn't like the ending. Suckage indeed.

( 87. Remembering Denny — Calvin Trillin ) A truly fascinating read.

( 88-90. Fruits Basket (Vol. 4-6) — Natsuki Takaya )cute fuzzy animals FTW?

( 91. Street of the Five Moons — Elizabeth Peters ) Sadly, I'm afraid this just isn't an author who works for me.

( 92. Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary — Pamela Dean ) All in all, I prefer Tam Lin, which has more rewards for lesser levels of frustration.

( 93. The Stolen Child — Keith Donohue ) A first novel, and a really fascinating one.

( 94. Intuition — Allegra Goodman ) It even has a note-perfect ending.

( 95. Zodiac — Robert Graysmith ) In the end, neither is the best book or movie that could be made on the subject, but they're both very interesting in spots.

( 96. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency — Alexander McCall Smith ) Smith is nothing if not addictive. More on that soon...

( 97. A Spot of Bother — Mark Haddon ) It may be a light comic novel, but it is a light comic novel that will freak you the fuck out.

( 98. Killing Yourself to Live — Chuck Klosterman ) if you're in even a slightly morbid mood, I really do recommend it.

( 99. The Terror — Dan Simmons ) In conclusion: this version of the Franklin Expedition? I don't want Ray and Fraser anywhere near it. Go back to having sex in a sleeping bag, boys.

( 100. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs — Chuck Klosterman ) If you're looking for some essays on pop culture that may one second have you nodding along and the next hurling the book against the wall, well: this bad boy's for you.

( 101. 44 Scotland Street — Alexander McCall Smith ) So in general I found this book quite enjoyable, if frothy, and I'll be looking forward to reading the next volume (the semi-appropriately-titled Espresso Tales—Latte Tales might be more accurate) as soon as the library chooses to bestow it upon me.

Semi-relevant note: Apparently, Maupin is coming out with a seventh Tales of the City book in June! Goddammit. In spite of everything I just said, I'm going to have to read it, aren't I?

( 102. Shopaholic & Baby — Sophie Kinsella ) They belong to a part of my life that no longer exists (in which, for example, I also secretly owned an Avril Lavigne CD).

( 103. Portuguese Irregular Verbs — Alexander McCall Smith ) Craaaaaaaaack.

Total Books: 103

Current Mood: hungry
Current Music: U2, "Holy Joe (Garage Mix)"

Sigh. I'm sorry I haven't been around. Same old boring story: I'm stressed, I'm depressed, I don't want to talk to anybody. None of the job possibilities I mentioned in my last post have panned out, and I'm feeling pretty darn frustrated and useless. I've also been feeling guilty about not keeping up with things, including this booklog, and I guess that since that's something I can deal with, I will. So, yeah. These last two weeks' worth book reviews brought to you by the letter D: denial! Hurrah?

No, seriously: books are such a happy place. Let's lose ourselves, shall we?

Weeks 12 & 13: 19 March-1 April 2007

( 67. Your Whole Family Is Made Out of Meat: The Best of Dinosaur Comics — Ryan North ) I'm glad to have at least some of it in hard copy, though. No one expects the internet-imploding apocalypse!

( 68. Theories of Everything — Roz Chast ) Highly, highly recommended.

( 69 & 70. Fruits Basket (Vol. 2 & 3) — Natsuki Takaya ) There is definite potential here, and I'll hopefully be able to find the next few volumes soon.

( 71-73. Cowboy Bebop (Vol. 1-3) — Yutaka Nanten ) It was sufficiently diverting, but mostly it just made me want to rewatch the series.

( 74. Borrower of the Night — Elizabeth Peters )

wychwood says the series gets much better with the next book, so I will give it a shot, but this volume really didn't do much for me.

( 75 & 76. Blood Price & Blood Trail — Tanya Huff ) I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing how everything connects.

( 77. Shoebag — Mary James ) I don't know what to make of any of it; I have no idea what I would have made from it when I was in the appropriate age group. But, um. Maybe I had a more flexible mind then? *wanders away, disconcerted*

( 78. The Sharing Knife: Beguilement — Lois McMaster Bujold ) So I enjoyed this a lot even though the strange pacing made the overall effect...odd.

( 79. The End of Mr. Y — Scarlett Thomas ) the experience of reading the novel was very pleasurable and interesting, but the final impact just isn't there; it's oddly unsatisfying.

( 80. Fullmetal Alchemist (Vol. 1) — Hiromu Arakawa ) *needs more NOW*

( 81. My Date With Satan — Stacey Richter ) Richter just came out with a new book, too: Twin Study. *wants*

( 82. Strange Happenings — Avi ) I feel bored again just talking about it.

( 83. Changing Places — David Lodge ) I enjoyed this immensely.

( 84. Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story — Christopher Moore ) since I really did enjoy it again, I'm now mostly hoping that the sequel doesn't sour me against it.

Total Books: 84

My reading for today? The California State Driver's Manual. I really need to learn to drive and stop feeling like such a loser.

Current Mood: angsty
Current Music: Morrissey, "Jack the Ripper"

*pants* Hi! I'm sorry I've been so absent. I actually had a really nice birthday weekend—and thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes!—but other than the short period I was able to lose myself in pretty new dresses and yummy Italian food, I have been stressing out pretty much constantly. As things stand right now: I have three days left at Bad!Job, which BossMan seems to have taken to mean he's obligated to dump as much work on me as possible; CR and I have a new apartment almost locked in, but getting it is going to of course mean a ton of work packing and moving and repainting the old place, the last of which I really kind of resent; and on the New!Job front, well...I've applied for several, and there are two I really, really want. One's with TOKYOPOP, the manga company. It's a copy editing job, so I would be copy editing manga for a living. How awesome is that? Amazingly, not quite as awesome as the travel writer job at Student Traveler Magazine. International travel required! I can't think of anything I'd rather do.

But of course I haven't heard anything yet. *whimpers* Wish me luck, okay?

So now, Booklog, because the routine of posting it is pretty much the only thing keeping me posting at all.

Week 11: 12-18 March 2007

( 59. Abandonment — Kate Atkinson ) It's really clever and interesting, and if you can find it anywhere, I really recommend it. Don't be scared off by the cover.

( 60. Ball Four — Jim Bouton ) I adored this book, and it made me want to adore baseball like I used to. And it made an encouraging argument in favor of being outspoken, too. It really is more than just a sports book.

( 61. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman — P.D. James ) With only a moderately interesting mystery backed by a main character who remains pretty blank, there's just nothing all that memorable here.

( 62. Survive the Savage Sea — Dougal Robertson ) if you're interested at all in survival stories or like scaring yourself with tales of sharks nipping at people's ankles, this book is incredibly gripping.

( 63. 21 — Patrick O'Brian ) I love Jack and Stephen. They are among the all-time greatest fictional characters for me. 20 books, or 20-almost-21, can never be enough. I guess I'll just have to start over at the beginning and read the series again.

( 64. The Masqueraders — Georgette Heyer ) it really was a blast to read. I look forward to getting my hands on more Heyer in the future (I already have These Old Shades checked out from the library).

( 65. Fruits Basket (Vol. 1) — Natsuki Takaya ) I have the next two volumes also, and hopefully, after I read them, I shall be able to come up with some more interesting and deeper things to say. *crosses fingers*

( 66. You're an Animal, Viskovitz! — Alessandro Boffa ) It's a really terrific, creative book, and in the wrong hands could, I imagine, lead to a whole new round of "John and Rodney are turned into WHAT?" fic. ;-)

Total Books: 66

And...that's a lot of reading. I am tired now. Too bad I have to get back to work. Three more days! THREE MORE DAYS.

IMPORTANT ETA: Several people were asking me about this, but now, thanks to the amazing and generous

siriaeve,

wychwood's and my story/art/music mix, Bootleg: The Best of the Puddlejumpers is back up! Yay!

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Bloodhound Gang, "The Bad Touch"

So, as you may recall: on Wednesday, I quit my job.

On Friday, I lost my apartment.

Yeah.

Basically, what happened was that Absent Roommate came back and totally flipped her shit at Cool Roommate and myself. She didn't like that CR and I had both put some of our stuff in the living room and declared that—in spite of what was actually agreed when each of us (separately) moved in—AR, who holds the lease, is renting each of us a room. We have to earn our kitchen and living room privileges. Then, in the argument that ensued, it came out that a) AR has moved far, far beyond the point of rationality—she would answer statements and questions of ours by repeating her previous and unrelated statement over and over—and that b) AR has been cheating us out of money for months.

So we have to leave. We've already started looking at new places—two so far, the first awful, the second pretty good. So, uh, if you know anyone on the Westside of L.A. who's looking for two awesome new roommates or is renting a two bedroom place? Well, let me know! (Same if you know anyone who's looking for a writer to hire—I'm not going to be able to dally at finding a new job, like I thought.)

Anyway, I would just like to say that so far 2007 loses at life. I have never had such a consistently terrible year. It better turn around soon, or honestly, I will not know what to do. How 'bout this Saturday, world, to make a change for the better? It's St. Patrick's Day, it's my birthday, that oughta bring a little luck...

But, uh. Enough feeling sorry for myself. It's booklog time!

Week 10: 5-11 March 2007

( 54. Romancing Mister Bridgerton — Julia Quinn ) I...I want to like romances? I do. I love romantic fiction. I love the Smart Bitches. I love smutty fanfic, for god's sake! So I don't know what the deal is. But I do know I certainly don't want to read about the agony and ecstasy of some inappropriately shirtless dweeb's member. Call me crazy.

( 55. jPod — Douglas Coupland ) unlike Microserfs, the world of jPod is not one I would want to live in. It's cold there.

( 56. The Forever King — Molly Cochran & Warren Murphy ) The book wasn't any less fun to read, and I'll definitely be picking up the sequel, but for me, at least, the prose's lack of sparkle makes it something I'm less likely to reread.

( 57. The Fly-Truffler — Gustaf Sobin ) I do feel like I'm somehow to blame, but eventually I'm going to just have to stop beating myself up and accept that magical realism may just not be for me.

( 58. Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence — Paul Feig ) Which is not to say the book isn't funny. It just really, really is not fun.

Total Books: 58

And for an extra, added bit of weirdness: see a fake copy of the magazine where I work in this trailer for a new movie about a dog.

ETA2: Make yourself feel better:

fan_this drew me tiny sleepy Rodney!

Current Mood: distressed
Current Music: Johnny Cash, "Flesh and Blood"

Week 9: 26 February—4 March

( 48. Antique Bakery (Vol. 1) — Fumi Yoshinaga ) I actually really want to get my hands on the next volume, which I didn't feel the need to with, say, FAKE.

( 49. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street — Helene Hanff )

roz_mcclure, you said you wanted a book to make you feel nostalgic about London? This is so perfect it seems tailor-made.

( 50. The Sparrow — Mary Doria Russell ) After all the horrible things that happen to Emilio, are we supposed to feel some transcendent moment, some renewal of faith or hope? It just wasn't there for me, and I can't tell if that's me or the book.

( 51. The Invention of Hugo Cabret — Brian Selznick ) Still, I think if I had read it when I was younger, I'd have been enchanted (I certainly remember Selznick's The Houdini Box with tons of fondness), and even now, even just as an objet d'art, it's lovely.

( 52. Tam Lin — Pamela Dean ) That said, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book because I did enjoy the build-up so much, and because Janet is such a wonderful character. Also: it's a book where the hero's an English major! That, alone, makes me extraordinarily happy.

( 53. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers — Mary Roach ) interesting, but definitely something I'm glad I got from the library as opposed to purchasing.

Total Books: 53

And while I'm here and have your attention (or not), two other points of interest (or not):

1. Dude, what's up with The Dead Zone? Season 2 was so, so good, but then...was it just me, or did it, suddenly and abruptly, really start to suck?

2. I can't stop listening to The Smiths. I find this worrying. Anyone want to help me and prescribe a cure? (And no, not The Cure. I need something happy-making, dammit!)

Current Mood: pensive
Current Music: The Smiths, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"

siriaeve and

amireal are amazingly generous/incredibly masochistic: they set up a new website for me. (Watch me never figure out how to update it properly!) We're still working out some kinks, but this should still be the most complete listing of my fic (including my old bad Buffy fic, oy) to date: check it out! Shiny! Pretty! Yay!

Not so yay: Yahoo!Mail has stopped working for me. Completely. It went down this weekend and is still not operational. Is anyone else having this problem? I'm going to see if I can get my barely-used gmail account working again, but until then I'm not getting comment notifications or anything. And my apologies to everyone I owe notes to! (Siria, Eliza, Cat, Wychwood, Ami...) I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

And even though I had a lame week of late work nights and lying around watching The Dead Zone a lot, here's this week's fairly pathetic booklog:

Week 8: 19-25 February 2007

( 44. 84, Charing Cross Road — Helene Hanff )assuming you're not an emotional wreck like I am (and even if you are) I highly recommend this book. It is the very definition of delight.

( 45. Smoke and Ashes — Tanya Huff ) Okay, and if that doesn't sell you: this third volume includes a threesome in the solution to save the world. World-saving threesomes: how can you not be all over that? *g*

( 46. Girlfriend in a Coma — Douglas Coupland ) Coupland's written something like ten novels and a bunch of non-fiction, so unless you're a completist (which I am) there's really no reason to read this particular book.

( 47. Hard Core Logo — Michael Turner ) I think the film must go deeper, and I'm really itching to see it now. Plus, Callum. *eg*

Total Books: 47

Current Mood: sore (dentist)
Current Music: The Smiths, "Ask"

Week 7: 12-18 February 2007

( 38. So Yesterday — Scott Westerfeld ) Westerfeld is really good at creating interesting characters and putting them in exciting situations, and this works very well as a one-off.

( 39. Peeps — Scott Westerfeld ) It’s like Buffy meets Tremors, and so far, not in a good way.

Maybe the concept improves in the sequel, and since I already checked it out from the library, I may read it and see.

( 40. A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines — Janna Levin ) It’s still a fascinating, well-written book, but I think it would have made a better nonfiction work.

( 41. Dearly Devoted Dexter — Jeff Lindsay ) I’m still eagerly awaiting the start of the show’s 2nd series, but I don’t think I’ll be reading the third book.

( 42. Specials — Scott Westerfeld ) Well, I guess I’ll just have to remind myself that 1) I really liked the first book and 2) the next two were nowhere near as bad as, say, the Matrix sequels.

( 43. Troll: A Love Story — Johanna Sinisalo )I heartily recommend it. It’s unusual and seductive and creepy. One of my favorite combinations!

Total Books: 43

Current Mood: frustrated
Current Music: Echo & The Bunnymen, "The Killing Moon"

Week 6: 5-11 February 2007

( 30. Hey Nostradamus! — Douglas Coupland ) So the plot, which is really the weakest part of this book, doesn’t really matter so much. As four portraits of four lives, it’s fantastic.

( 31. Fargo Rock City — Chuck Klosterman ) ANYWAY…all of that said, I actually enjoyed the rest of the book a lot. And I don’t care one iota about heavy metal. But Klosterman does make me care about other people caring.

( 32. Lord John and the Private Matter — Diana Gabaldon ) I can’t get emotionally involved, and thus I can’t really care about what I’m reading.

Please tell me I’m not the only one this happens to!

( 33. Uglies — Scott Westerfeld ) But then you get hit with a cliffhanger! D’oh!

( 34. Old Man’s War — John Scalzi ) Still, the underlying sci-fi concepts in this book—the stuff about identity—are really interesting; I am anxious to get my hands on the sequel, even if it means I’ll have to turn off my brain for a while. Or at least the hard-working liberal guilt section.

( 35. The Martian Child — David Gerrold ) Oddly, I do think this could make a good movie, if whoever’s adapting it gives it some badly-needed structure. Although—guess what?—a quick check of IMDb reveals that in the film, Cusack’s character is suddenly straight. Sigh.

( 36. Pretties — Scott Westerfeld ) But then…cliffhanger again! Dammit. This Westerfeld guy is not to be trusted. ;-)

( 37. The Road — Cormac McCarthy ) It was creepy and tragic and beautifully written. I’m not sure why this is considered OMG LITERATURE when it’s ground sci-fi has been covering for years, but that’s a whole other “poor abused genre fiction” rant right there. Hi, I’m tangent girl today.

Total Books: 37

Current Mood: moody
Current Music: The Killers, "All These Things That I've Done"

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Booklog 2007: Weeks 18 & 19

I am remiss! + Booklog of Doom

Booklog is not a river in Egypt

Mini State-of-Me + Booklog

This joke isn't funny anymore + Booklog

Booklog 2007: Week 9

New website! + naughty e-mail + Booklog: Week 8

Booklog 2007: Week 7

Booklog 2007: Week 6

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