Friday, November 30, 2007

Week Forty Eight, Book Sixty Three

The Hour Sets
Michael C. Boyko
"They are called the Hour Sets, and divided into hours, not because each cultural period lasts only an hour, but 1 hour is how long you must study the symbols of each cultural period in order to learn everything about it. The remaining 12 hours of each day are spent forgetting what you have learned about each cultural period, in the order you have learned it, by engaging only the symbols of your own cultural period. This is called sleep. In this way, all of history is learned and unlearned each day. All of history, our history, takes place on a restricted landscape, the same landscape we learn and unlearn upon...".

Review:
This book has a beautiful vibrant cover and intriguing illustrations inside. I was not sure at first what I was reading. Was it poetry, fiction or a combination of the two? I read a small description of the book that called it "a field notebook of sorts comprised of a tidy sequence of observational fictions". I am not really familiar with field notebooks turning into literature, but have always kept a journal with clippings and such, so I think I sort of know what one is. Maybe not. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading Boyko's work and look forward to more pieces by this author.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Week Forty Eight, Book Sixty Two

by Laurie Halse Anderson

"My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis."

Review:
Freshman Melinda Sordino calls the cops on an end-of-summer party because she was raped by an older boy. Scared that the cops will bust her for being drunk she scurries away before they can even hear her story. Flash forward and it is the beginning of a new school year and all of her friends from elementary school have abandoned her. She has a secret that she cannot reveal and struggles daily trying to "not speak". In the end Melinda finds her voice and is set free from this horrific nightmare. This book is ideal for any one who has ever felt left out or forgotten. Anderson perfectly captures the cruel world of high school cliques and how one struggles with peers and pressure. A must read for all young adult girls.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Books On Art, Music & Books

Art:
A Life of Picasso: The Triumphant Years, 1917-1932
by John Richardson

Music:
The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century
by Alex Ross

Coltrane: The Story of a Sound
by Ben Ratliff

Books:
Books on Fire: The Destruction of Libraries throughout History
by Lucien X. Polastron

How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read
by Pierre Bayard

Books About Real People

* Here are some new books about "Real" people. Enjoy!
The Life and Times of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
by Andrew Lycett

How Chuck Feeney Made and Gave Away a Fortune Without Anyone Knowing
by Conor O'Clery

by A. David Moody

by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.

by Louis MacNeice

Books At Random

*Here are some new books from The Random House Group.

A Little History Of The English Country Church
by Sir Roy Strong

The Gathering

Henrietta Howard

Penguin UK

*Here are some interesting new books from Penguin.
The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy
Stephen M. Walt & John J. Mearsheimer

The Whisperers
Private Life in Stalin's Russia
Professor Orlando Figes

Luck and the Irish
A Brief History of Change, 1970-2000

R. F. Foster

Byzantium
The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire
Judith Herrin

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Week Forty Seven, Book Sixty One

Into the Wild
"S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August ?"
Chapter 2, pg. 12
Review:
What a great book to read over the Thanksgiving break! I really loved this book and am so glad I finally tackled it. A few months ago there was a lot of hype about the movie, soundtrack and re release of this book, that I was turned off by the story all together. The plot is a simple one: man disappears into the wilderness thinking he can fight nature and nature wins. At first, I felt sorry for Chris McCandless, but as I read Krakauer's piece, I felt anger and sadness towards him. The whole story is too much of a mystery and Krakauer did an excellent job trying to make heads and tails out of McCandless's madness. What a tragedy for the family and anyone who ever crossed his path and cared about him. At last, Krakauer exposed me to a whole history of explorers who failed and succeeded at conquering nature. I was never a camper/hunter, so I could not tell you what McCandless should have done differently, but he seemed ill prepared and arrogant, which makes you want to shake him as you are reading his diary entries and letters to friends. A very sad story, yet a must read.








Saturday, November 17, 2007

Week Forty Six, Book Sixty

One Woman's Search for Everything Across
Italy, India and Indonesia
by Elizabeth Gilbert
Review:
Wow! This was an intelligent, funny and passionate painting of travel and love. As you are devouring each section (three in total), you cannot wait to race to the next and find yourself satisfied and glad you made the journey. The story takes place in three different cultural settings during the self discovery of a woman going through a divorce and change of life. I laughed in Italy, smiled in India and exhaled in Indonesia. I was skeptical when this became the choice for our monthly book club only because Oprah's club read this and Gilbert appeared on the show. But, I was pleasantly surprised and loved her style and language from start to finish. Here is an excerpt that is a lovely example of just how refreshing Gilbert's writing can be. Be sure to check out the video and her website below.


Anyway, by now, by the middle of November, the shy, studious Giovanni and I have become dear buddies. As for Dario—the more razzle-dazzle swinger brother of the two—I have introduced him to my adorable little Swedish friend Sofie, and how they've been sharing their evenings in Rome is another kind of Tandem Exchange altogether. But Giovanni and I, we only talk. Well, we eat and we talk. We have been eating and talking for many pleasant weeks now, sharing pizzas and gentle grammatical corrections, and tonight has been no exception. A lovely evening of new idioms and fresh mozzarella.


video: Watch a QuickTime trailer for this book
author site: http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/eatpraylove.htm

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Week Forty Five, Book Fifty Nine

by Philip Roth
Review:
I started this book a month or so ago, but for various reasons I had to put it down and restart it this week. Instead of reading the selection for my monthly book club Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, I poured myself into yet another Roth tome. It is very rare that I laugh out loud to the point of tears when reading, yet that is all I find myself doing when reading Roth. By far one of the funniest writers I have come across and always amazing and fresh. The novel explores how a Jewish family deals with rising fascism in 1940's America, with real historical figures as its backbone. When the renowned aviation hero Charles A. Lindbergh defeated Franklin Roosevelt by a landslide in the 1940 presidential election, fear invaded every Jewish household in America. Not only had Lindbergh, in a nationwide radio address, publicly blamed the Jews for selfishly pushing America toward a pointless war with Nazi Germany. This story was not only scary, but wonderful at the same time. I couldn't put it down and wished it never to end. Indeed this is the most personal of Roth's works, especially his portrayal of his stoic, honorable father, strong, decent mother, and talented, ambivalent brother. Roth to me is the perfect writer and I look forward to reading more of his work.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Author Norman Mailer Dies at 84

*Norman Mailer died early Saturday at the age of 84. Here are five interesting facts about the great literary giant courtesy of www.aol.com.

1. Mailer campaigned for mayor of New York City in 1969.
2. Mailer was married six times and has nine children. One of his marriages lasted only a day.
3. Mailer produced five movies, dabbled in journalism and crusaded against women's lib.
4. Born in New Jersey in 1923, his family moved to Brooklyn when Mailer was a boy.
5. Early in his career, Mailer promised to write the greatest novel ever. Later in life, he conceded that he had not.

Friday, November 9, 2007

National Book Award Finalist Readings

National Book Foundation in partnership with
The New School Writing Program
presents the 2007 National Book Award Finalists Reading
Tuesday, November 13, 2007, at 7:00 p.m.
where:
The New School, Tishman Auditorium
66 West 12th Street,
New York City(between 5th and 6th Avenues)
Master of Ceremonies: Bret Anthony Johnston
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance from
The New School Box Office at 212-229-5488.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

How many have you read?

National Book Award Nominees for Fiction 2007

Mischa Berlinski, Fieldwork
Lydia Davis, Varieties of Disturbance
Joshua Ferris, Then We Came to the End
Denis Johnson, Tree of Smoke
Jim Shepard, Like You’d Understand, Anyway

Douglas Coupland

by Douglas Coupland
*Great author, so check out the new book and his website. http://www.coupland.com/

Time and Materials

by Robert Hass
*This is the first book in 10 years from former U.S. poet laureate and a must for every poetry lover.
sites:
robert hass
Robert Hass Introduction

Adrian Tomine

Shortcomings

*This graphic novel has been getting a lot of press lately and I think that the artist is definitely worth checking out. Here are some sites
(S H O R T C O M I N G S, drawn and quarterly) where you can see for yourself. Enjoy!


Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Castaways

by Rob Vollmar and Pablo Callejo
Review:
Set during the Great Depression, you witness the story of Tucker Freeman, 13, who is forced to follow in his father's footsteps and brave the life of a hobo. This is the first graphic novel by the best-selling team of Bluesman: Book 1 (Bluesman) and it features a conclusion/epilogue not found in the original release, as well as a new two-color look. Overall, this was a simple story of love and friendship told in a gorgeous way. For lovers of Twain, Steinbeck and everything American, this is a must read.


sites to visit:
http://www.nbmpublishing.com/
http://www.bluesmanproject.com/
http://robvollmar.blogspot.com/

Joyce Carol Oates

Date & Time: Fri, Nov 9, 2007, 1:00pm
Location: Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street
Venue: Kaufmann Concert Hall
Price: $20.00 / $10.00 Age 35 and Under



The Poetry Center's Afternoon Night Table series continues, when series host Roger Rosenblatt will be joined by the prodigiously talented Joyce Carol Oates, author of Blonde, The Gravedigger's Daughter and the recently published The Journal of Joyce Carol Oates: 1973-1982.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Week Forty Four, Book Fifty Eight

by Orhan Pamuk and Maureen Freely
About the author:
Other Colors is Orhan Pamuk’s first book since winning the Nobel Prize. This is a brilliant collection of essays on his life, his city, his work, and other writers. He not only is the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2006, but his novel My Name Is Red won the 2003 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. His work has been translated into more than fifty languages and he lives in Istanbul.
Review:
I couldn't wait for this book to come out and was so happy that I was the first person to check it out from my local library. I went through every page with a fine tooth comb and had begun to reread certain selections each time I cracked open this treasure chest. Books and Reading was my favorite section of the book and I found myself making small notes based on the authors and titles that Pamuk discussed. My Books Are My Life was also an enjoyable read and I couldn't help but nod with approval throughout the section. The nineteen illustrations were simple, but beautiful and left you wanting more in each chapter from Living and Worrying. Not only is Pamuk an incredible writer, but you get a sense from this work, that he is an unbelievable lover of books. A must read for lovers of Rushdie, Dostoyevsky, Joyce, Proust, Camus and Nabokov, just to name a few.

Film & Literature @ Southpaw

PENultimate Lit: An Evening on Film & Literature
When: Sunday, November 11
Where: Southpaw: 125 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn
What time: 7 p.m.
Event info: Tickets are $10 http://www.spsounds.com/


On Sunday, November 11, PEN American Center will launch PENultimate Lit, a new literary series that will explore the intersection of literature and the arts in the modern world. Curated with the help of Rick Moody, PENultimate Lit will bring together notable writers and artists in an attempt to discern what, in 21st Century, makes writing matter.

Michael Peters reads Vaast Bin

Cup and Pen Small Press Reading Series
presents
Calamari Press
With readings by Michael Peters
and Be Blank Consort


when:
Wednesday November 7th, 2007 8:30pm-10pm
where:
Think Coffee
248 Mercer St and 3rd Street, NY 10012