Hey LAAAADIES (and Gents)!
Just letting you know I've posted a review over on my personal blog (which is rather unused, so just ignore all that dust please) about the recent steampunk release "Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel" by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris.
You may view it HERE.
Please bother the other Laaaadies about posting more often. Please and thank you.
-Lady Aly
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Time Has No Meaning Here: Metaphysical Fiction
Ahoy and salutations! Lady Aly here with an update regarding self-published works and the joys of bending time and space!
When I first joined Twitter, I made sure to follow Neil Gaiman, author extreme and god of all that is fantastical. Almost instantaneously thereafter, I was followed by someone called Joseph Devon. I was unused to the abrupt familiarity of Twitter early on, but he explained that Amazon.com likened his works to Neil's, and that people who enjoy books by Neil Gaiman might enjoy books by Joseph Devon. Fast forward to about a month ago, when he tweeted that he had some extra signed copies of his book "Probability Angels" and wasn't sure what he was going to do with them. I told him I was interested in reading it and so he graciously sent me a copy for review.
Boom. So there we are.
"Probability Angels" is an action movie wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a self-published softcover. It's one of those stories that is almost too big to pin down on the page, and it's one of those stories that throws you into the deep end of the pool without instructions and it's all you can do to turn the page as you mutter "Wait, WHAT?" and continue to search for answers.
It is a complicated story, with complicated characters, but it is exciting and, at parts, deeply fascinating. It is so complicated, however, that even upon finishing the book I am not sure I could clearly explain to you the exact plot. Suffice it to say that the characters in the story are all dead. They have died (more or less) and are now acting as agents of change and catalysts to the living. They are called testers; they travel by appearing and disappearing at will, and they 'push' the living souls to do or not do certain things. Some are more powerful testers than others, and some are just newbies, barely starting out. Matthew, the protagonist, is a student of the very old, very powerful Epp (who, once upon a time, was a Roman slave) and along with other students Mary (whose true former identity is still a mystery to me, though I have some thoughts) and Bartleby (who is something of a hothead -- literally) finds himself in the midst of what might be a kind of metaphysical rebellion of Epp's enemies (Hector, Gregor, and Nyx, who want to destroy Epp and create chaos).
There are also zombies from time to time, and difficult choices being made both in the past and the present.
I have been told there is a sequel about to be released, and all I can say about that is that I hope there are more answers to the questions of the first book. In a moment of pure honesty, one of my most enormous pet peeves is when authors create questions and stir feelings and uncertainties in their readers, and then straight up decline to provide any hints of answers to those questions and uncertainties. Example: "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire. The man spends hundreds of pages with zero character development and tons of mystery, and by the end of the book you have no idea what some of that was about. He wrote a sequel, "Son of a Witch," and not only do some of the original questions not get answered, but he creates even more questions that he neglects to even hint at answers to. It is a very, very frustrating state of affairs. Does that mean that the story behind "Wicked" isn't good? No. It's a good story. It's poorly executed, but it's a good story.
Here, with "Probability Angels," I feel a similar twinge of nervousness at not having answers. I suspect that if I re-read the book, I might get some of those questions settled, but I really hope that the sequel is more decisive. The story of "Probability Angels" is intriguing, and the action and scope of the tale is fascinating and breathtaking and all good things regarding the abstractness of time and humanity and all sorts of great thoughts like that. But for me, it bordered on unsatisfying regarding the amount of questions I still had at the end.
I do not mean to say that I only enjoy books that are neatly wrapped with a bow at the end, or only books that are precise in their question-and-answer patterns. I really enjoyed reading "Probability Angels" and I won't say no to reading the sequel. I think Joseph Devon has a great vision for epic, action-packed stories, and some of his characters resonated as just being so damn cool (Kyo and Epp, for starters, but I definitely want to know more about Mary). I also would say that I think as far as protagonists go, Matthew serves a specific purpose for this story and it is not the role of the-character-we-all-care-about-the-most. For me as a reader, this is a definite case of supporting characters overshadowing the 'main character' for reader's attentions. Epp is cool as hell, first of all, and Kyo -- once you read through his very dramatic samurai backstory -- is phenomenally interesting and heroic. Matthew is marginally interesting at the beginning, but until the climax of the story he remains marginally interesting. It's almost like partway through, Devon made Epp and Kyo the main characters instead of Matthew. Granted, it's very important the reader understand Epp and Kyo's backgrounds, but I didn't have strong feelings towards Matthew, at least not the same way I did for Kyo and Epp.
Bottom line, Laaaadies and gents? Joseph Devon's epic "Probability Angels" is a fascinating read, and I truly enjoyed it, but if you want more answers than there are questions, or you want to be able to latch onto the protagonist start to finish, or if you want a straight, linear timeline of any length, this might not be for you. If your mind is open and you love unsolved mysteries of the universe, however, give this one a try.
Joseph Devon, I thank you for the book and salute you for being a self-published author and an awesome Twitter friend!
-Lady Aly
When I first joined Twitter, I made sure to follow Neil Gaiman, author extreme and god of all that is fantastical. Almost instantaneously thereafter, I was followed by someone called Joseph Devon. I was unused to the abrupt familiarity of Twitter early on, but he explained that Amazon.com likened his works to Neil's, and that people who enjoy books by Neil Gaiman might enjoy books by Joseph Devon. Fast forward to about a month ago, when he tweeted that he had some extra signed copies of his book "Probability Angels" and wasn't sure what he was going to do with them. I told him I was interested in reading it and so he graciously sent me a copy for review.
Boom. So there we are.
"Probability Angels" is an action movie wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a self-published softcover. It's one of those stories that is almost too big to pin down on the page, and it's one of those stories that throws you into the deep end of the pool without instructions and it's all you can do to turn the page as you mutter "Wait, WHAT?" and continue to search for answers.
It is a complicated story, with complicated characters, but it is exciting and, at parts, deeply fascinating. It is so complicated, however, that even upon finishing the book I am not sure I could clearly explain to you the exact plot. Suffice it to say that the characters in the story are all dead. They have died (more or less) and are now acting as agents of change and catalysts to the living. They are called testers; they travel by appearing and disappearing at will, and they 'push' the living souls to do or not do certain things. Some are more powerful testers than others, and some are just newbies, barely starting out. Matthew, the protagonist, is a student of the very old, very powerful Epp (who, once upon a time, was a Roman slave) and along with other students Mary (whose true former identity is still a mystery to me, though I have some thoughts) and Bartleby (who is something of a hothead -- literally) finds himself in the midst of what might be a kind of metaphysical rebellion of Epp's enemies (Hector, Gregor, and Nyx, who want to destroy Epp and create chaos).
There are also zombies from time to time, and difficult choices being made both in the past and the present.
I have been told there is a sequel about to be released, and all I can say about that is that I hope there are more answers to the questions of the first book. In a moment of pure honesty, one of my most enormous pet peeves is when authors create questions and stir feelings and uncertainties in their readers, and then straight up decline to provide any hints of answers to those questions and uncertainties. Example: "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire. The man spends hundreds of pages with zero character development and tons of mystery, and by the end of the book you have no idea what some of that was about. He wrote a sequel, "Son of a Witch," and not only do some of the original questions not get answered, but he creates even more questions that he neglects to even hint at answers to. It is a very, very frustrating state of affairs. Does that mean that the story behind "Wicked" isn't good? No. It's a good story. It's poorly executed, but it's a good story.
Here, with "Probability Angels," I feel a similar twinge of nervousness at not having answers. I suspect that if I re-read the book, I might get some of those questions settled, but I really hope that the sequel is more decisive. The story of "Probability Angels" is intriguing, and the action and scope of the tale is fascinating and breathtaking and all good things regarding the abstractness of time and humanity and all sorts of great thoughts like that. But for me, it bordered on unsatisfying regarding the amount of questions I still had at the end.
I do not mean to say that I only enjoy books that are neatly wrapped with a bow at the end, or only books that are precise in their question-and-answer patterns. I really enjoyed reading "Probability Angels" and I won't say no to reading the sequel. I think Joseph Devon has a great vision for epic, action-packed stories, and some of his characters resonated as just being so damn cool (Kyo and Epp, for starters, but I definitely want to know more about Mary). I also would say that I think as far as protagonists go, Matthew serves a specific purpose for this story and it is not the role of the-character-we-all-care-about-the-most. For me as a reader, this is a definite case of supporting characters overshadowing the 'main character' for reader's attentions. Epp is cool as hell, first of all, and Kyo -- once you read through his very dramatic samurai backstory -- is phenomenally interesting and heroic. Matthew is marginally interesting at the beginning, but until the climax of the story he remains marginally interesting. It's almost like partway through, Devon made Epp and Kyo the main characters instead of Matthew. Granted, it's very important the reader understand Epp and Kyo's backgrounds, but I didn't have strong feelings towards Matthew, at least not the same way I did for Kyo and Epp.
Bottom line, Laaaadies and gents? Joseph Devon's epic "Probability Angels" is a fascinating read, and I truly enjoyed it, but if you want more answers than there are questions, or you want to be able to latch onto the protagonist start to finish, or if you want a straight, linear timeline of any length, this might not be for you. If your mind is open and you love unsolved mysteries of the universe, however, give this one a try.
Joseph Devon, I thank you for the book and salute you for being a self-published author and an awesome Twitter friend!
-Lady Aly
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
You Are What You Read
What makes us judge other people? One thing I am 100% guilty of, which I will readily admit, is judging people by what I see them reading in public. If I think what they're reading is silly or trivial I will totally make a snap judgment about who they are and the kind of person they are.
Today, sitting in the hallway, reading The Actor's Freedom I was acutely aware of a group of people passing by me silently judging me for reading this book. Was it because I was using my time to read a super old school acting book by Michael Goldman (who is awesome, ps, and anyone interested in critical writing on Shakespeare should check out Shakespeare and the Energies of Drama)? Was it because of the content of the book? What was it that created that weird atmosphere that I was below them simply because I was sitting on the floor reading?
We can't know what anyone else is thinking. Even when their thoughts seem very obvious - you would think that the book someone was reading said a lot about who they are as a person, but, hey turns out that that really isn't true. Just like most things in life, it is never that easy.
Example: I was reading The Actor's Freedom because I like to read everything I can about acting and different acting styles, even ones I find super ridiculous and I don't agree with at all (disclaimer, I have not read James Lipton's book, but I would if someone lent it to me), because I love knowledge. And I love information. But it struck me that some people, unaware of my insatiable thirst for information, may judge me as lame or even (god forbid!) super pretentious for reading something like that.
Why is that? Why do we assume to know anything about another person based on what they choose to read in public? How do we know this wasn't something they have to read for a variety of reasons unknown to us?
Another example!: Confession, I have read the entire Twilight series. It was terrible. It was poorly written, the characters were unbelievably uninteresting and selfish and idiotic, and in general the plot is boring and predictable (although the vampire war at the end of the last book was decently badass, and had it been a part of literally any other series I probably would even, dare I say it, admit to having enjoyed it). But the fact of the matter is, I read those books in public. Where everyone could see me. And silently judge me for thinking I am one of them.
But the truth is, I read that whole terrible, terrible series because my younger sister was obsessed at the time, but refused to read Harry Potter, saying it was stupid and could never be as awesome as Twilight. So I made her a deal: that I would read the entire Twilight series if she would agree to read at least the first four Harry Potter books (she did and quickly converted, realizing the error of her Twilight ways).
But no one could have possibly known that! Perhaps I should have written a giant note and taped a giant note to it that said something along the lines of "I'M READING THIS IRONICALLY, DON'T JUDGE ME PLZ!"
I guess the point I'm trying to make is, next time you're sitting on a subway or waiting in line a the supermarket, or passing by someone in the hallway, and you see them reading something ridiculous go ahead and make a judgment -that's your right- but! perhaps keep in the back of your mind the idea that perhaps their interest in this ridiculous doper is not as simple as it might appear.
And, moreover, don't ever feel embarrassed to read anything in public, because only you will know that those people silently judging you are actually being ....
Happy linking!
Lady Erin
(currently reading: Swamplandia! by Karen Russel, The Actor's Freedom by Michael Goldman, and The Ghost Pirates by William Hope Hodgson)
Today, sitting in the hallway, reading The Actor's Freedom I was acutely aware of a group of people passing by me silently judging me for reading this book. Was it because I was using my time to read a super old school acting book by Michael Goldman (who is awesome, ps, and anyone interested in critical writing on Shakespeare should check out Shakespeare and the Energies of Drama)? Was it because of the content of the book? What was it that created that weird atmosphere that I was below them simply because I was sitting on the floor reading?
We can't know what anyone else is thinking. Even when their thoughts seem very obvious - you would think that the book someone was reading said a lot about who they are as a person, but, hey turns out that that really isn't true. Just like most things in life, it is never that easy.
Example: I was reading The Actor's Freedom because I like to read everything I can about acting and different acting styles, even ones I find super ridiculous and I don't agree with at all (disclaimer, I have not read James Lipton's book, but I would if someone lent it to me), because I love knowledge. And I love information. But it struck me that some people, unaware of my insatiable thirst for information, may judge me as lame or even (god forbid!) super pretentious for reading something like that.
Why is that? Why do we assume to know anything about another person based on what they choose to read in public? How do we know this wasn't something they have to read for a variety of reasons unknown to us?
Another example!: Confession, I have read the entire Twilight series. It was terrible. It was poorly written, the characters were unbelievably uninteresting and selfish and idiotic, and in general the plot is boring and predictable (although the vampire war at the end of the last book was decently badass, and had it been a part of literally any other series I probably would even, dare I say it, admit to having enjoyed it). But the fact of the matter is, I read those books in public. Where everyone could see me. And silently judge me for thinking I am one of them.
But the truth is, I read that whole terrible, terrible series because my younger sister was obsessed at the time, but refused to read Harry Potter, saying it was stupid and could never be as awesome as Twilight. So I made her a deal: that I would read the entire Twilight series if she would agree to read at least the first four Harry Potter books (she did and quickly converted, realizing the error of her Twilight ways).
But no one could have possibly known that! Perhaps I should have written a giant note and taped a giant note to it that said something along the lines of "I'M READING THIS IRONICALLY, DON'T JUDGE ME PLZ!"
I guess the point I'm trying to make is, next time you're sitting on a subway or waiting in line a the supermarket, or passing by someone in the hallway, and you see them reading something ridiculous go ahead and make a judgment -that's your right- but! perhaps keep in the back of your mind the idea that perhaps their interest in this ridiculous doper is not as simple as it might appear.
And, moreover, don't ever feel embarrassed to read anything in public, because only you will know that those people silently judging you are actually being ....
Happy linking!
Lady Erin
(currently reading: Swamplandia! by Karen Russel, The Actor's Freedom by Michael Goldman, and The Ghost Pirates by William Hope Hodgson)
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Zombie Blogs and New Authors
Ahoy and salutations! Lady Aly here with a glimpse of things to come. The future, if you will. The future of literature, the future of the internet....
...and the future includes zombies.
I'm sorry, Alexis, but it's going to happen at some point. And none of us are gonna let you put yourself out of your misery when they come for us. We will fight. Here's why.
One of the things I tend to do on a daily or every-other-daily basis these days is visit Barnes & Noble. I go there before work to wake up, I go after work to decompress, I go to see what's listed on the new literature tables and shelves, I go to see which copies of Neil Gaiman are selling better than others, I go to find new and interesting novels to devour. I'm aware of how creepy all that is. But it's not important right now. I recently discovered a book with a SWEET title and SWEET cover art. Observe.
...and the future includes zombies.
I'm sorry, Alexis, but it's going to happen at some point. And none of us are gonna let you put yourself out of your misery when they come for us. We will fight. Here's why.
One of the things I tend to do on a daily or every-other-daily basis these days is visit Barnes & Noble. I go there before work to wake up, I go after work to decompress, I go to see what's listed on the new literature tables and shelves, I go to see which copies of Neil Gaiman are selling better than others, I go to find new and interesting novels to devour. I'm aware of how creepy all that is. But it's not important right now. I recently discovered a book with a SWEET title and SWEET cover art. Observe.
Allison Hewitt is Trapped. I mean, first of all, she's standing atop a pile of books, possibly wearing Doc Martens, and hefting a SERIOUS axe. (The fact that she's using my name with a different spelling isn't important at all. It's not like I project myself into every heroine I read just to try them on for size or anything. It's not like I imagine playing every heroine I read in a film or TV adaptation of the book. It's not.) The cover art and the title instantly roped me in. Insta-purchase. I knew exactly what it was going to be about and I needed to know how it ended. (Note the use of the word 'need' -- this is a side-effect of good book marketing, okay?)
Author Madeleine Roux is a graduate of Beloit College in my home state of Wisconsin and this book here before you was written originally as a blog. Yes, that's right, a BLOG. Like, a side project. For fun. Here's the original blog for your perusal, but I do highly recommend picking up the actual book. The book itself does keep the blog format for the most part. The general idea is that Allison Hewitt, employee of a local Brooks and Peabody bookstore, is trapped in the break room of said bookstore with her coworkers and a few customers at the time of the 'outbreak' and once she discovers infinite access to the internet thanks to something called the SafetyNet (SNET) she begins blogging through the survival process. Commenters on the blog appear and let Allison know they're not alone, that others have survived, and everyone is just as confused and terrified as they are. Allison's blog posts are relatively frequent, so that her communications of what befalls her and the other survivors are relatively seamless, and let me tell you, the events that unfold are shocking. It starts off with your typical zombie hide-and-seek, run for supplies, search for help kind of ventures, but then things take a turn for the worse. Shit. Gets. Real. Allison Hewitt has to deal with serious shit, but she does it with so much determination it's stunning. It's clear that if anyone is going to survive the Zombiepocalypse, it's Allison Hewitt.
This is one seriously great read. Stayed up all night because I couldn't sleep without knowing what the HELL was going on. It's fast, it's shocking, it's incredibly smart and heartfelt without being sappy (don't know how you could write a sappy zombie novel, though) and the threat of the shuffling, shambling undead seems very real. I applaud Madeleine Roux for her youth, ambition and fucking all-around SKILL at telling this story. I look forward to reading more by this new author.
Moral of the Story: pick up something by an author you don't know. Even if it's just because you like the title or the cover art. Pick up something NEW. And then tell other people about it. Some author out there will love you for it, and it's good karma. Also, I fully expect you to pick up MY book (whatever it is) when it gets published (someday). Good karma, people. Book karma.
Second Moral: get really comfortable with using unusual things as weapons. Just in case.
Lady Aly
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Mr Funny Pants, indeed
So. I walk into a Borders to buy some books of music for an audition I had coming up. If you're curious, keep reading. If not, skip to the second paragraph... I had to assemble an array of POP and ROCK music, for this audition, and I had none. Borders, as we all know, is going out of business, and coincidentally so are my pockets. Perfect match-up. (Though my personal preference would have been to put a bunch of Poprock candies in my mouth, stand there, jaw agape, and motion to the auditors to shut the muck up for a second so they could realize my talent.) But, alas, music books at Borders it was destined to be. ... That felt like a Yoda sentence.
What Destiny! I walked in, and the first table I saw had a big green sign on it marked 30% off Non-Fiction! (Which isn't THAT exciting...but then...) A BUNCH OF BOOKS SENATOR'S MEMOIRS! A MEMOIR ABOUT A GUY WHO HAD A SUPER RELIGIOUS MOM AND A DRUNK DAD IN TEJAS?!?! AAAA....Michael. Showalter. NO. Michael Showalter wrote a memoir?! .... about.... writing.... a ... memoir.
Genius.
Mr. Funny Pants, by Michael Showalter. It was the only copy on the table, and I realized I was glancing around while making the decision to buy it, because I felt like I was depriving someone else of what would surely be a whirlwind of a book.
Duh, I took it. And by ''took'' I mean paid for it like a law-abiding citizen.
If you don't know this, I love Michael Showalter. I think he is absolutely brilliant (intellectually and artistically.) The best way I can describe the kind of humour without making it sound like it's all fart and penis jokes, is that it is like a slight-of-hand trick* --- you're following along on one track, and somehow it's evolved into something else and you're not sure how you got there, and you may be left going "Whaaat the hell?!" but boy, is it great! Even that dumbs it down. It is because of Showalter's intellect that his silly humour is endearing and just makes me downright giggle. If it doesn't make you giggle, then you're probably one of the many folk who write it off as, "This isn't funny. It's just weird." Which is okay! To each his/her/its own.
* I know nothing of Slight-of-Hand tricks, or Magic, or Magik, for that matter.
But you should ask...Will this review be biased? Yes. Do I care? No. Should you? Yes. Probably.
Why on Earth wouldn't you want to read something that'll make you guffaw, snort, even chortle, out loud. Not a question. At 300 pages, filled mostly creative repetitions and turns like the first three chapters entitled, "About the Author," "Aboot the Author (Canadian Version)" and "About Bea Arthur," it is a super fast read.
If you don't like silliness. Don't read this book. If you don't like penis jokes. Don't read this book. If you read things with a monotonous little reader voice in your head. That must be very boring for you, aaaand you probably shouldn't read this book.
Conversely, If you've ever felt like a bit of a nerd or down on yourself, read this book. If you've ever written an angry letter to someone and you've never had the nerve to send it, definitely read this book. And if you love tactful penis jokes, well, you're just awesome.
A little about Mr. Showalter. He's 1/3 of the comedy group STELLA (he's the one in the middle in this clip) and writes screenplays/sketches and also creates/stars in shows that eventually get cancelled (because they're too good...A David Crossim on "good" TV.) He co-wrote and was in Wet Hot American Summer. Also, If you frequent Collegehumour.com, he's got The Michael Showalter Showalter, where he "interviews" celebs.
Mr. Funny Pants deals with the difficult task of writing a memoir. The reason why he's chosen this topic, is because the dude doesn't think he leads enough of an interesting life to just write a straight up non-fiction. So, his approach is to write out everything that comes to his mind. The end product is getting a glimpse inside this self-deprecating, sweater-loving, OCD/anxiety ridden, cat-keeping, quietly raging, comedian's mind through his stream-of-consciousness/associative writing. (Not like super heavy handed, artsy freakin fartsy, stream-of-consciousness...that'd kill it.)
Though this description can make any ''Memoir" seem Seinfeldian, between the silliness in Mr. Funny Pants, the reader is given information on Showalter's recollection of his past; the OCD is real, and there are sections about memories of his childhood, awkward adolescence, failed relationships, the desire to always belong, and how he didn't fully outgrow that in his adulthood.
It is satirical in the way that it is poking fun at "Memoirs" in general. (That is to say, even Didion and Eggers use their creative licences, so no memoir is 100% fact.) Often Showalter demonstrates this by blatantly exaggerating real-life occurrences, or capturing a certain feeling then digressing completely. Both approaches are equally engaging and hilarious.
So pick it up. Or just go to Borders and find something else you want to read, because I think it all has to go by April.
NEXT UP: SWAMPLANDIA! By Karen Russel
OK, bye!
-Lady Atra
What Destiny! I walked in, and the first table I saw had a big green sign on it marked 30% off Non-Fiction! (Which isn't THAT exciting...but then...) A BUNCH OF BOOKS SENATOR'S MEMOIRS! A MEMOIR ABOUT A GUY WHO HAD A SUPER RELIGIOUS MOM AND A DRUNK DAD IN TEJAS?!?! AAAA....Michael. Showalter. NO. Michael Showalter wrote a memoir?! .... about.... writing.... a ... memoir.
Genius.
Mr. Funny Pants, by Michael Showalter. It was the only copy on the table, and I realized I was glancing around while making the decision to buy it, because I felt like I was depriving someone else of what would surely be a whirlwind of a book.
Duh, I took it. And by ''took'' I mean paid for it like a law-abiding citizen.
If you don't know this, I love Michael Showalter. I think he is absolutely brilliant (intellectually and artistically.) The best way I can describe the kind of humour without making it sound like it's all fart and penis jokes, is that it is like a slight-of-hand trick* --- you're following along on one track, and somehow it's evolved into something else and you're not sure how you got there, and you may be left going "Whaaat the hell?!" but boy, is it great! Even that dumbs it down. It is because of Showalter's intellect that his silly humour is endearing and just makes me downright giggle. If it doesn't make you giggle, then you're probably one of the many folk who write it off as, "This isn't funny. It's just weird." Which is okay! To each his/her/its own.
* I know nothing of Slight-of-Hand tricks, or Magic, or Magik, for that matter.
But you should ask...Will this review be biased? Yes. Do I care? No. Should you? Yes. Probably.
Why on Earth wouldn't you want to read something that'll make you guffaw, snort, even chortle, out loud. Not a question. At 300 pages, filled mostly creative repetitions and turns like the first three chapters entitled, "About the Author," "Aboot the Author (Canadian Version)" and "About Bea Arthur," it is a super fast read.
If you don't like silliness. Don't read this book. If you don't like penis jokes. Don't read this book. If you read things with a monotonous little reader voice in your head. That must be very boring for you, aaaand you probably shouldn't read this book.
Conversely, If you've ever felt like a bit of a nerd or down on yourself, read this book. If you've ever written an angry letter to someone and you've never had the nerve to send it, definitely read this book. And if you love tactful penis jokes, well, you're just awesome.
A little about Mr. Showalter. He's 1/3 of the comedy group STELLA (he's the one in the middle in this clip) and writes screenplays/sketches and also creates/stars in shows that eventually get cancelled (because they're too good...A David Crossim on "good" TV.) He co-wrote and was in Wet Hot American Summer. Also, If you frequent Collegehumour.com, he's got The Michael Showalter Showalter, where he "interviews" celebs.
Mr. Funny Pants deals with the difficult task of writing a memoir. The reason why he's chosen this topic, is because the dude doesn't think he leads enough of an interesting life to just write a straight up non-fiction. So, his approach is to write out everything that comes to his mind. The end product is getting a glimpse inside this self-deprecating, sweater-loving, OCD/anxiety ridden, cat-keeping, quietly raging, comedian's mind through his stream-of-consciousness/associative writing. (Not like super heavy handed, artsy freakin fartsy, stream-of-consciousness...that'd kill it.)
Though this description can make any ''Memoir" seem Seinfeldian, between the silliness in Mr. Funny Pants, the reader is given information on Showalter's recollection of his past; the OCD is real, and there are sections about memories of his childhood, awkward adolescence, failed relationships, the desire to always belong, and how he didn't fully outgrow that in his adulthood.
It is satirical in the way that it is poking fun at "Memoirs" in general. (That is to say, even Didion and Eggers use their creative licences, so no memoir is 100% fact.) Often Showalter demonstrates this by blatantly exaggerating real-life occurrences, or capturing a certain feeling then digressing completely. Both approaches are equally engaging and hilarious.
So pick it up. Or just go to Borders and find something else you want to read, because I think it all has to go by April.
NEXT UP: SWAMPLANDIA! By Karen Russel
OK, bye!
-Lady Atra
Brain Splurge
I am facing a crisis. I am reading approximately 1,000 books right now and don't know how to finish any of them. I have this problem where I like reading so much that I think I can read everything all at once. This is a problem because, well, it's impossible. Especially with the "required reading" that comes with college. Fact: I would like to read Vanity Fair. New Fact Number One: Not gonna happen in two weeks. New Fact Number Two: I WANT TO READ WHAT I WANT TO READ!!...get me out of college.
I also have another problem where I love books so much that I buy them in bulk. If I walk out of a bookstore without a purchase I have just exhibited extreme self control and deserve a book as a reward! I just got back from New York where I obviously went to Strand Book Store...twice. Don't look at me with your judging eyes!18 miles of books = me in bliss. And I visited a lovely little book store named Shakespeare & Co. (how could I not!!). I controlled my massive book spending boner (gross?) and only bought five books. A Single Man, Of Mistresses, Tigresses and Other Conquests, Nothing: A Very Short Introduction, Shakespeare: A Very Short Introduction and some book that I can't even think of right now. The cover looked neat and the back sounded interesting...short stories concerning cake? Meh.
So because of my crazy desire to read everything ever written all at once I have resigned my self to reading short things that I can read quickly and stressing about all the other things I "should" be reading. Ugh! Why am I so stressed about reading. Also I should be doing homework right now....BUT I digress.
I just finished reading the play Proof by Chicago native (I think...too lazy to look it up) David Auburn and the first book in the Sally Lockhart Mysteries by Phillip Pullman - God among authors (weird because he hates God). Anyways they were both fantastic.
Proof makes me want to be a mathematician and makes me hate myself a little for not having done math in four years. And now Catherine in that play is on my short list of "want to play" (not so short a list...). Also as my good friend Torie pointed out Hal is hot. (There is clearly more to this play that the previous statements, but my brain is melting so deal with it. I gave you a link!)
The Sally Lockhart mystery: A Ruby in the Smoke was very clever, set in England in the Victorian period, written for young adults, wonderful and readable in a day. I subsequently ordered the whole series and will, theoretically, write a whole blog dedicated to all of them...and the Billie Piper miniseries.
While in New York I started A Single Man (even though I brought 5 other books) which is so beautifully written that it blows my mind!! I will defiantly write a blog (that is well thought out and not a brain splurge) about it, but do yourself a favor and just go fucking read it. The two opening paragraphs are heart breaking. And then I started Nothing: A Very Short Introduction which is also blowing my mind in a scientific, I have to read everything twice, why am I not a scientist, so interesting, why do I have to read Vanity Fair instead of this kind of a way! I am literally 20 pages in and I have had to reread every section - it has taken me an hour to read 20 pages! SCIENCE!
Bleh. So there is my weird book rant. Hopefully I will be able to post something more "substantial" in the near future.
Currently Reading: Oh Gods just kill me already.
Disclamer: I don't actually hate Vanity Fair. In fact it is quite good. I just hate reading on someone elses schedule and then having to prove that I read it....it was suppose to be read two weeks ago. :/ If you see me give me a hug...or a kiss ;-) to make me feel better.
seeyakthaxbyefuck
Lady Alexis
I also have another problem where I love books so much that I buy them in bulk. If I walk out of a bookstore without a purchase I have just exhibited extreme self control and deserve a book as a reward! I just got back from New York where I obviously went to Strand Book Store...twice. Don't look at me with your judging eyes!18 miles of books = me in bliss. And I visited a lovely little book store named Shakespeare & Co. (how could I not!!). I controlled my massive book spending boner (gross?) and only bought five books. A Single Man, Of Mistresses, Tigresses and Other Conquests, Nothing: A Very Short Introduction, Shakespeare: A Very Short Introduction and some book that I can't even think of right now. The cover looked neat and the back sounded interesting...short stories concerning cake? Meh.
So because of my crazy desire to read everything ever written all at once I have resigned my self to reading short things that I can read quickly and stressing about all the other things I "should" be reading. Ugh! Why am I so stressed about reading. Also I should be doing homework right now....BUT I digress.
I just finished reading the play Proof by Chicago native (I think...too lazy to look it up) David Auburn and the first book in the Sally Lockhart Mysteries by Phillip Pullman - God among authors (weird because he hates God). Anyways they were both fantastic.
Proof makes me want to be a mathematician and makes me hate myself a little for not having done math in four years. And now Catherine in that play is on my short list of "want to play" (not so short a list...). Also as my good friend Torie pointed out Hal is hot. (There is clearly more to this play that the previous statements, but my brain is melting so deal with it. I gave you a link!)
The Sally Lockhart mystery: A Ruby in the Smoke was very clever, set in England in the Victorian period, written for young adults, wonderful and readable in a day. I subsequently ordered the whole series and will, theoretically, write a whole blog dedicated to all of them...and the Billie Piper miniseries.
While in New York I started A Single Man (even though I brought 5 other books) which is so beautifully written that it blows my mind!! I will defiantly write a blog (that is well thought out and not a brain splurge) about it, but do yourself a favor and just go fucking read it. The two opening paragraphs are heart breaking. And then I started Nothing: A Very Short Introduction which is also blowing my mind in a scientific, I have to read everything twice, why am I not a scientist, so interesting, why do I have to read Vanity Fair instead of this kind of a way! I am literally 20 pages in and I have had to reread every section - it has taken me an hour to read 20 pages! SCIENCE!
Bleh. So there is my weird book rant. Hopefully I will be able to post something more "substantial" in the near future.
Currently Reading: Oh Gods just kill me already.
Disclamer: I don't actually hate Vanity Fair. In fact it is quite good. I just hate reading on someone elses schedule and then having to prove that I read it....it was suppose to be read two weeks ago. :/ If you see me give me a hug...or a kiss ;-) to make me feel better.
seeyakthaxbyefuck
Lady Alexis
Friday, March 4, 2011
Sweet Tweets
We now have a twitter account. Follow us @LaaaadiesnBooks for all your Lady Book lovin' needs. In addition to links to our new reviews expect fun book articles we find on the interwebs and retweets by our favorite authors!!
In addition to following @LaaaadiesnBooks you can find and follow your Ladies solo.Check out...
Lady Aly @dreamstobecome
Lady Erin @ErngenC
Lady Emily @EmilyJBates
Lady Elise @elisevictoria
Lady Alexis @Nerdgirl28
(Sorry no Lady Atra on twitter.)
Hope you have as much fun with our steamy background as we do....;)
In addition to following @LaaaadiesnBooks you can find and follow your Ladies solo.Check out...
Lady Aly @dreamstobecome
Lady Erin @ErngenC
Lady Emily @EmilyJBates
Lady Elise @elisevictoria
Lady Alexis @Nerdgirl28
(Sorry no Lady Atra on twitter.)
Hope you have as much fun with our steamy background as we do....;)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Like a kick in the face, or the hump, or ... whatever
One of the things I love: borrowing books. Do I want a library someday? Yes. Do I love getting and hoarding stacks and stacks of books? Yes. But I still love borrowing books from people and seeing what they love and what they hate and how that makes them who they are.
Recently my very good friend and regular reading laaaaady Rachel lent me a book called Geek Love by Katherine Dunn.
Here's a photo of the cover!
It's not what you think. It is not about charming geeks who fall in love and awkwardly find romance in their tech driven lives.
It is about freaks. Actual freaks. As in, traveling circus, incest with your brother, born with a major deformity, took drugs and radiation while she was pregnant FREAKS.
And it is FANTASTIC.
I'm basically not going to tell you anything about the story because I think you should go into it with the same mindset that I did: That you have absolutely no idea what in the fucking hell is happening.
Every time I thought I had figured out the endgame, and that I knew where the storyline was headed Katherine Dunn turned around and PUNCHED ME IN THE FACE. It was like clockwork, me going "Oh! I think I get it!" and Katherine Dunn going, "WHAT?! BITCH WATCH THIS!"
My only complaint about the book was that the ending was so sudden I almost wasn't certain I understood what happened. In fact, I am positive I had no idea what was happening. But I re-read the ending a few times and I think I figured it out, and the conclusion I came to was that the book ended in the same way the rest of the book unfolded: In a crazy whirlwind of crazy ass shit.
This book gets 4 1/2 stars from Lady Erin, who heartily recommends that you get yourself a copy, and enjoy the feeling of your brain melting into the world of the Binewski circus.
Best wishes,
Lady Erin
(currently reading: The Seagull by Anton Chekhov [translated by Tom Stoppard], The Ghost Pirates by William Hope Hodgson [ebook], and The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx [both because I have to for a class but also because I am a huge nerd and want to read it])
Recently my very good friend and regular reading laaaaady Rachel lent me a book called Geek Love by Katherine Dunn.
Here's a photo of the cover!
It's not what you think. It is not about charming geeks who fall in love and awkwardly find romance in their tech driven lives.
It is about freaks. Actual freaks. As in, traveling circus, incest with your brother, born with a major deformity, took drugs and radiation while she was pregnant FREAKS.
And it is FANTASTIC.
I'm basically not going to tell you anything about the story because I think you should go into it with the same mindset that I did: That you have absolutely no idea what in the fucking hell is happening.
Every time I thought I had figured out the endgame, and that I knew where the storyline was headed Katherine Dunn turned around and PUNCHED ME IN THE FACE. It was like clockwork, me going "Oh! I think I get it!" and Katherine Dunn going, "WHAT?! BITCH WATCH THIS!"
My only complaint about the book was that the ending was so sudden I almost wasn't certain I understood what happened. In fact, I am positive I had no idea what was happening. But I re-read the ending a few times and I think I figured it out, and the conclusion I came to was that the book ended in the same way the rest of the book unfolded: In a crazy whirlwind of crazy ass shit.
This book gets 4 1/2 stars from Lady Erin, who heartily recommends that you get yourself a copy, and enjoy the feeling of your brain melting into the world of the Binewski circus.
Best wishes,
Lady Erin
(currently reading: The Seagull by Anton Chekhov [translated by Tom Stoppard], The Ghost Pirates by William Hope Hodgson [ebook], and The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx [both because I have to for a class but also because I am a huge nerd and want to read it])
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Steampunk: Where Sci-Fi meets Historical Fiction
Greetings and salutations.
Let me begin by saying that this will not be the sole post here to represent the blooming genre of steampunk literature, but there will be many more to come I'm sure. You may recall my first post about the Dapper Men and to be certain there will come a time when several of us post about the most glorious and fashionable authoress Gail Carriger but for now please bear with me.
Since my own personal discovery of this genre two Octobers ago I have become something of an addict. I have a rather long list of books of this ilk which I very much desire to read, but unfortunately do not have the funding or the time as of yet to complete all of them. I am picking my way as I go, and every month or so I pick up a new steampunk treat to satiate my hunger.
This month I picked up the book "Dreadnought" by Cherie Priest.
In a nutshell: the Civil War is still raging many years after our history tells us it was supposed to have ended. Texas is a Republic, Mexico is an Empire, and the North and the South are still fighting tooth and nail. Airships, boats and trains are primary modes of transportation, the slaves have been freed but not given full rights yet, and the world is something of a mess.
Our heroine, Vinita "Mercy" Lynch, works at the Robertson Hospital in Virginia. She is a Confederate nurse, but a nurse nonetheless, and a damn good one. She receives word that her husband has been killed some months ago, and on the same day receives a telegram that speaks of her ailing father who begs her to come to him in Tacoma, WA. To travel entirely across the country is difficult, let alone in the middle of a war, but Mercy has nothing left to do but go, despite the fact that she hasn't seen her real father since she was six. He went West in search of gold and never came back, presumed dead, till now.
Mercy must travel by boat, airship, and finally train -- a Union train, armed and armored to the teeth. It's an enormous, impossibly fast, impossibly strong monstrosity of a machine called the Dreadnought and it is carrying something secret and quite deadly. The train ride west is full of attacks, espionage, and good old fashioned Western gunslinging. Oh, and there are big Iron Giant type machines fighting for the Union and the Confederacy, and there may or may not be a drug called sap that, when one overdoses on it, causes one to lose one's mind, senses, and become a walking corpse that's insatiably hungry for the living flesh of others. Oh, yes.
Did I mention how fucking FUN alternate history is?
Cherie Priest's storytelling skills are straight up excellent. The story is almost written in real time, so I felt the need to grip my book with white knuckles and stay in one place until I had completed the story, racing against time to get to the ending that I was dying to find out about. When I got to the end, however, I realized that "Dreadnought" takes place in the same world/time as Priest's first book, "Boneshaker" (which I also had on my list) and subsequently wished that I had also grabbed "Boneshaker" -- damn it that I picked up "Dreadnought" first! I have a thing about reading/watching things in the proper written/produced order. But no matter. It wasn't extremely vital to the plot, as I said, but rest assured I will be reading "Boneshaker" as well.
Can we talk about the fucking brilliant titles? Like.... shit.
Cherie Priest gets an A+ in Alternate History 101. I think she is going to graduate with honors.
Lady Aly
Let me begin by saying that this will not be the sole post here to represent the blooming genre of steampunk literature, but there will be many more to come I'm sure. You may recall my first post about the Dapper Men and to be certain there will come a time when several of us post about the most glorious and fashionable authoress Gail Carriger but for now please bear with me.
Since my own personal discovery of this genre two Octobers ago I have become something of an addict. I have a rather long list of books of this ilk which I very much desire to read, but unfortunately do not have the funding or the time as of yet to complete all of them. I am picking my way as I go, and every month or so I pick up a new steampunk treat to satiate my hunger.
This month I picked up the book "Dreadnought" by Cherie Priest.
In a nutshell: the Civil War is still raging many years after our history tells us it was supposed to have ended. Texas is a Republic, Mexico is an Empire, and the North and the South are still fighting tooth and nail. Airships, boats and trains are primary modes of transportation, the slaves have been freed but not given full rights yet, and the world is something of a mess.
Our heroine, Vinita "Mercy" Lynch, works at the Robertson Hospital in Virginia. She is a Confederate nurse, but a nurse nonetheless, and a damn good one. She receives word that her husband has been killed some months ago, and on the same day receives a telegram that speaks of her ailing father who begs her to come to him in Tacoma, WA. To travel entirely across the country is difficult, let alone in the middle of a war, but Mercy has nothing left to do but go, despite the fact that she hasn't seen her real father since she was six. He went West in search of gold and never came back, presumed dead, till now.
Mercy must travel by boat, airship, and finally train -- a Union train, armed and armored to the teeth. It's an enormous, impossibly fast, impossibly strong monstrosity of a machine called the Dreadnought and it is carrying something secret and quite deadly. The train ride west is full of attacks, espionage, and good old fashioned Western gunslinging. Oh, and there are big Iron Giant type machines fighting for the Union and the Confederacy, and there may or may not be a drug called sap that, when one overdoses on it, causes one to lose one's mind, senses, and become a walking corpse that's insatiably hungry for the living flesh of others. Oh, yes.
Did I mention how fucking FUN alternate history is?
Cherie Priest's storytelling skills are straight up excellent. The story is almost written in real time, so I felt the need to grip my book with white knuckles and stay in one place until I had completed the story, racing against time to get to the ending that I was dying to find out about. When I got to the end, however, I realized that "Dreadnought" takes place in the same world/time as Priest's first book, "Boneshaker" (which I also had on my list) and subsequently wished that I had also grabbed "Boneshaker" -- damn it that I picked up "Dreadnought" first! I have a thing about reading/watching things in the proper written/produced order. But no matter. It wasn't extremely vital to the plot, as I said, but rest assured I will be reading "Boneshaker" as well.
Can we talk about the fucking brilliant titles? Like.... shit.
Cherie Priest gets an A+ in Alternate History 101. I think she is going to graduate with honors.
Lady Aly
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
News Flash!
I'm about to deliver some shocking news directly to your brains. Are you ready? Here it is:
Finding the time to do recreational reading while you are in school is a frustrating, enraging task.
That is all. Please stand by for spring break and a blog post from Lady Erin very soon.
Lots of love!
Lady Erin
(currently reading: Geek Love - Katherine Dunn)
Finding the time to do recreational reading while you are in school is a frustrating, enraging task.
That is all. Please stand by for spring break and a blog post from Lady Erin very soon.
Lots of love!
Lady Erin
(currently reading: Geek Love - Katherine Dunn)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Gentlemen of the Road : Bla-bla-bla-BLOGGGG
Hello. Hi. Hi. Sorry I'm late to our little "laaady" party here. Over the internet of course. I'm not making dictations at a real party. Ha, I'm so cool. Actually, it's 11pm and currently, I am waiting on a 5-cheese slice of organic wheat crust pizza in the oven to bake to perfection. Thought I'd give a little bit of love to this blog 'till that happens.
Let me begin post-beginning, by saying what Lady Elise claims in slothilness toward her writing; I, admittedly, share similar slothy habits in my reading. Together, we're a semi-illiterate sloth, probably with sloth-diagnosed ADD by a fake sloth psychologist. (Which I guess is incredibly counter intuitive and slightly misleading when it comes to this blog. Also inefficient; we'd have six fingers total for typing. And you know we'd keep asking where every damn letter is out loud.)
Enough about moss growing mammals, though. This blog's about books. One book. One book by Michael Chabon. Yeah, I know, everyone's probably already read everything of his and I'm late to that party too, but hey, there's some light I hope to shed through this little bloggeroo in hopes that those who have read it, may add to the mix, or those who haven't will put it on their TO READ lists. (Everyone makes those, right?) (SEE MY TO READ LIST BELOW.) I don't know how to make that a cool link, that'll shoot you there, so either scroll all the way down with your eyes closed, or read through everything and reward yourself... with my list....at the end.
GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD by Michael Chabon
I ordered this book off of Amazon around 3 am one day, and forgot what I had ordered until it came in the mail two weeks later. I was genuinely, pleasantly surprised.
Gentlemen of the Road, is a hundred and ninety-six pages of adventure, history, foreign languages, war, humour, romance, animals, and a peppered with sketches. Why the hell not?!* Now that the gripper's over, I'll attempt to [somewhat elaborately] deconstruct the plot.
The story's set in Khazaria in 950 AD, and the plot revolves around two friends who partake in thievery of all sorts (Amram, the older of the two, a burly African Jew who was a former soldier, and Zelikman, a physician-learned, Frankish Jew aptly named for his lankiness and pale features) who go from town to town and put on con-shows. Their money-making focus shifts when they encounter a young Khazarian prince, Filaq, orphaned by a coup --- there was an overthrow of the family's royal position by a man named Baljan. Who is the villain that pretty much rules Khazaria. The fucker. --- So! Keeping a promise to Filaq's dying caretaker (also caretaker of the family's royal elephants) The two men decide to take the offer of returning Filaq back home - for potential monetary gain, of course.
Throughout the course of the book, tid bits are revealed about each character that increase a reader's investment and in the end, leave you feeling rewarded.
Chabon writes in such a way that the reader is - on horseback, looking out through a Persian glass at war scenes in the distance, creating poultices made of herbs and applying ointments to the open bellies of wayward soldiers, stealing horses from an enemy camp under dim moonlight, being trampled, riding elephants, slitting the throats of night-guardsman, lost in hazy nostalgia over one's past and destruction of origin, and rounding up the troops- alongside all the well developed, intricately depicted, characters. Those sketches I mentioned earlier? They're almost unnecessary, but it's fun to play "I wonder how my imagination compares to the sketch" after the first few. Which adds more adventure to the book, if you ask me.
This is my first Chabon. I don't know if he uses hypotaxis in all of his writing, but good golly, even the print in Gentlemen of the Road takes you on a journey. His sentences are so full of descriptions and luxurious language that, physically, take your eyes on a pathway as winding as the characters' travels. If you've ever read Virgil (I've been working on the Aeneid. probably not the best to try blogging about?) Anyway, many of Chabon's sentences have that epic and profound emotion that causes a reader to reel, take a few breaths, and come back for more. It's not a bombardment of long, unorganized sentences, but a successful execution in using the physical print to help enhance the story. Even the chapter titles set your curiosity up for a titillating spike by the time you've finished one. One chapter's title is, "On the Melancholy Duty of Soldiers to Contend with the Messes Left by Kings" Each chapter starts with "On" like the whole book's full of guideposts. I'm a fan.
A note: Even the Afterword is beautifully written and full of insight and information.
Now for a taste of the characters through some hypotaxis:
Zelikman
"When, rarely Zelikman recalled his mother to Amram, it was often a bedside memory of her seeing him through fevers and nightmares, or singing to him in the soft Latin dialect of her grandmothers, and the shade of that unknown Jewess always seemed to appear in Zelikman when he anesthetized a guard or watchman and laid him tenderly on the ground."
Filaq
"He held himself apart from the men as he had from Zelikman and Amram, sleeping in his own tent, performing his ablutions and elimination in private, riding usually at the head of the train with none beside him and none before, but he fell in regularly among the ranks, during the course of a day, all the way back to the weakest and most useless of the stragglers, to join them for a song or find shoes for the unshod."
Amram
"It was the business of the world, Amram knew, to manufacture and consume orphans, and in that work fatherly love was mere dross to be burned away. After long years of blessed absence, the return of merciful feelings toward what was, after all, only another motherless and fatherless child, struck Amram, bitterly, as a sign of his own waning powers to live life as it must be lived."
Thematically speaking- and truly, anyone can come up with at least two dozen themes in any well crafted story- but my favorite thing about this story, has to do with the notion of someone being nurturing, yet cold and distant at the same time. (re read the above quotes if you want examples.) It is the theme of genetics - explored through the many cultural diversities within mainly the Jewish people here- that lends itself to the idea of origin and how a person's origin, culture, education, and habits ingrain within us a need to keep tradition and forge our own paths at the same time. To cherish, and yet, be distant. To remember what we've been taught at home, and fulfill an itch to seek to learn new things elsewhere.
Every character has a rich back story, and yet, as a reader, I never felt bombarded by exposition --- which is HUGE for me. There's nothing I loathe more when reading something, than blatant exposition. I take that back, sentimental arguments through dialogue filled with exposition would make me commit a literary hate crime.
Okay. SO. I could go on and on and on exploring more and more themes, and dissecting the book and giving you a fuller, more academic approach, but why ruin this moment, lovies? Pick it up for yourself is all you need to do. There's still the history, foreign language, and humour of it all you need to experience for yourself, I think. A cop out on my part, possibly.
I'll leave you with a a list of words I've learned from this book (Not all of them, of course, but some favorites.) And also some music that I feel fits Amram and Zelikman's description and relationship. Enjoy :) Videos are off of Youtube.Com
Myna - an Asian bird that imitates sounds/people/devices :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDdDJ-HgHmo&feature=fvwrel
Calumny- (slander)
Japery - (Joke)
Mendatious - (Habitually dishonest)
Ululating - (a loud/shrill lament or howl)
Vivaldi - Concerto for Bassoon and Cello in E Minor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvpMyZzqelM&feature=related
WELL THANKS FOR READING, YA LITERATES.
I promise to make them shorter from here on out!
Lady Atra
*this was when I left to get my pizza. I didn't forget...did you?
BOOKS ON MY TO READ LIST:
The Alphabet vs The Goddess (non fic)
The Moon Box (A series of folk lore tales about the moon)
The Theif at the End of the World
And of course, Virgil and I are still dating.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
1997 Personal Computer and Word(less) Processor
Lady Elise's 1st EVER BOOK REVIEW...
EXCUSE LIST.
Below I have compiled a brief list that describes the bionic wall, muddy mountain, desert trail and ukulele-playing giant that stands in the way of my posts.
BIONIC WALL:
Circa 1997 personal computer, that in2010 2011 should symbolize a helpful mechanical extension of self, more rather is an older sibling that bats down my hand when I try to poke its keyboard (please visualize).
MUDDY MOUNTAIN:
Everday trials and tribulations. Definiton including any post-undergraduate melodramatic thought and activity inlcuding anything by way of free-time that baffles my academically brainwashed routine into stasis, hanging out with toddlers as an occupation (I really don't undestand rearing), thoughts including "where did all the moneyz go?" to "I just NEED to learn how to chisel things"(adult signs of attention deficit disorder?), and the inevitable mindless complaining (this post) that accompanies winter.
DESERT TRAIL:
Trying to find the life source in that cranium to which instructs the mouth and fingers how to act accordingly to individual perceptions of daily life and...more specifically, reading material.
UKULELE-PLAYING GIANT (music catalogue):
I cannot listen to this jolly (sometimes dreary) note-playin' fellow when I write due to inability to focus, but he is SO PERSUASIVE.
That being blerged (blopped, blerped?), I do read quite frequently and hopefully in a short while you will be able to read my musings on these covers and words:
The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coehlo
The Kindness of Strangers Featuring stories by Jan Morris, Tim Cahill, Simon Winchester and Dave Eggers.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
UPDATE: Evidence I am a sloth-writer, this took me 45 minutes to write.
EXCUSE LIST.
Below I have compiled a brief list that describes the bionic wall, muddy mountain, desert trail and ukulele-playing giant that stands in the way of my posts.
BIONIC WALL:
Circa 1997 personal computer, that in
MUDDY MOUNTAIN:
Everday trials and tribulations. Definiton including any post-undergraduate melodramatic thought and activity inlcuding anything by way of free-time that baffles my academically brainwashed routine into stasis, hanging out with toddlers as an occupation (I really don't undestand rearing), thoughts including "where did all the moneyz go?" to "I just NEED to learn how to chisel things"(adult signs of attention deficit disorder?), and the inevitable mindless complaining (this post) that accompanies winter.
DESERT TRAIL:
Trying to find the life source in that cranium to which instructs the mouth and fingers how to act accordingly to individual perceptions of daily life and...more specifically, reading material.
UKULELE-PLAYING GIANT (music catalogue):
I cannot listen to this jolly (sometimes dreary) note-playin' fellow when I write due to inability to focus, but he is SO PERSUASIVE.
That being blerged (blopped, blerped?), I do read quite frequently and hopefully in a short while you will be able to read my musings on these covers and words:
The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coehlo
The Kindness of Strangers Featuring stories by Jan Morris, Tim Cahill, Simon Winchester and Dave Eggers.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
UPDATE: Evidence I am a sloth-writer, this took me 45 minutes to write.
Friday, January 28, 2011
To Die for Dita
Hello Campers!!
So this is my first official blog post, but before I begin on the Queen of NeoBurlesque I want to give a tiny bit of background for the blog & what you should expect in the future.
I had the original idea for the blog (groan at the self promotion) because most of my good friends are avid readers like myself & a lot of our conversations evolve into discussions about what we are reading or what we just finished or what we think the other just HAS to read. Laaaadies (and books) is meant to be a kind book promotion & sharing blog – the actual “review” part of our blog is not actually very important to us at all; you will find no academic reviews here. What I mean by that is that instead of (or rather in addition to) telling everyone I meet about the fantastic book I just read I want people to know why they should actually pick it up. Because lets face it the majority of the time when a person tells you to read a book, even if it sounds interesting, you will not read that book. But now we have a forum & a discussion & a wide variety of books that we think that you should check out. & we would love Love LOVE it if you have some suggestions of your own. None of us has really written in a blog before (except Lady Aly. Go check it out!) but we are ladies who love books AND sharing.
That being said I introduce you to
My love affair with all things Dita began about two years ago when I stumbled across a documentary call A Wink & A Smile: The Art of Burlesque. Although Dita doesn’t appear in this film it sparked my interest into the history of burlesque & the neoburlesque movement of which Dita Von Teese is the reigning queen. & since my discovery I have become a bit obsessed & look forward to the day (coming soon I hope) when I might try my hat a little tease & strip. And who better to learn from than Dita herself.
The book is Fetish/Tease. Although what one might normally call a coffee table book (a particularly risqué type of coffee if you ask me) it is worth more than a quick glance. The book is comprised of two components Fetish & Tease; depending on your mood or your curiosities all you have to do is flip the book over & choose your adventure. I bought the book for the Burlesque initially so naturally I started there.
Tease is comprised of large glossy photos of her modeling some of her burlesque costumes, couture dresses & homage’s to past eras which are gorgeous naturally, but the best bits are the stories she tells & the gems of advice she gives. In chapters like Titilation & Tights in Time and A Time of National Undress Dita retells stories of the history of burlesque & the fabulous, dreamlike lifestyles they lead. Laced within these stories one can find boxes of counsel guiding the reader on the looks of particular era’s & the best songs to tease to. My favorite is the Burlesque Costume Musts! in which she list the items that “Every Exciting Enchantress Should Own!” Pasties & Stockings & Garters & Oh My! If you come for the pictures you’ll stay for the stories & vice versa. And when you’re feeling more dangerous…
Flip to Fetish where you can peruse Dita’s fetish photos. These include rubber, dominatrix, bondage, tight lacing & a particularly beautiful shoot in the fabulous Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris (my personal favorite photos of the entire book). Like in Tease, Fetish is laced with stories & tips to the budding temptres. Unlike Tease, however, Fetish is a bit more personal & less focused on history (although there is some smashing info on Bettie Page). I love Fetish because of the honest & impactful way it addresses the fetish culture. It is complete respectful & sex positive. Dita dishes on how she made her way into fetish & her own personal favorites (tight lacing & damsel in distress topping the list). Not to mention the pictures are beyond hot & are super creative.
So although not a novel Fetish/Tease is defiantly worth more than a glance. Even if you are not particularly interested in Burlesque or the Fetish scene this book is so much more. Dita is the embodiment self awareness, acceptance & extravagance. She certainly does her own thing & she owns it on a level that is rarely seen today, especially in this world where our beauty standard is so fucked. (I love that she does her own makeup and hair before her shoots taking her beauty and image literally into her own hands.) She is a true inspiration and her passion & vivacity for life & the things she adores is inspiring in and of itself. So do yourself a favor & pick up (or peruse at B&N) Fetish/Tease. Buy the book for the stories & the priceless counsel on how to live a glamorous, kinky sex positive life & keep it out in public to entice others with the gorgeous glossies of Dita herself.
If you want more Dita I would suggest picking up Striptease featuring three flip books of her burlesque acts. Not to mention the many magazines that feature articles about her including this months Instyle which features a fantastic article that takes us into the eclectic home of Dita Von Teese & sheds a little light on what this Queen is like at home (the kitchen is AMAZING. Super envious). & keep a look out for her up coming DIY book in which she will teach us how to achieve that flawless red lip & vintage curl. I for one cannot wait!!
Explore your wild side.
Yours Exceptionally,
Lady Alexis
(Currently Reading: Eleven Minutes, Wuthering Heights, Jane Sexes it Up, Lolita, & The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance --- I have a short attention span. With me you never know what you’re going to get…blog wise anyways ;-)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
More Moore
I’ve been craving adventure lately; I just want to suck it down like I did with literature on the American Pioneer. Probably something to do with the fact that I just want to fly away and leave all this to yesterday, (think Nicole Kidman’s character in Moulin Rouge)…except without the prostitution, beautiful elephant to live in, and Ewan Macgregor ogling me from a swing while I die from consumption. I just love stories. I love stories of personal growth that you can put on a map with as well. Growth in your mind, body, and soul…..with the capability of being like, “Oh yea, remember when I was in the swamplands and I realized that I am hiding from the realization that I am becoming my mother”. Or, “Remember when we were trying to find that elderly man with the prophecy and I realized that I didn’t like avocados that much, but pretend I do because it’s the trendy new thing to like.” Or, “Remember when we were in the temple of pig carcasses when I realized I liked women?
That’s what I like. Self-growth and actualization that can be associated with a specific part on your journey. IT’s just such a nice combination.
I am not on a journey; I am living in Rogers Park, working a silly job, and getting drunk on my couch.
But, this is not meant to be a pity party, it’s good. And we talk about books here.
Enter Lamb, by Christopher Moore. I just…... adored this book. I love the idea of it, I marvel at his courage as a writer to hold such a respect for an age old story, but also make me giggle in bed, (while reading people….gosh dirty minds) but also make me cry from the deep, deep running friendship themes. I also didn’t feel like a moron reading it because it forced me look things up, and wonder about that book called the Bible, which actually turns out to be full of awesome stories…and wonderful life lessons. This is ironic because our generation LOVES bashing the Bible. But I’m serious. I like the book as a book. No. I like the book as it is associated with centuries and generations of different takes on spirituality, because that is just beautiful.
Sorry, that’s not the book this entry is about.
Lamb is s a coming of age story, an adventure, freaking hilarious, and painfully heartfelt. You first-handedly experience the struggles that two young boys experience as they realize that suffering and disappointment is just as real as a sense of security and the idea of peace. Moore mixes an ancient religion with an accurate human viewpoint on life. His writing may indicate a lack of respect for Christianity and religion in general, but he really ends up validating all ways of thinking, and pays a tribute to Jesus Christ. (In my opinion)
Biff accompanies Joshua on his quest for knowledge and understanding, with the hope that Joshua (Jesus) will learn how to actually BE the messiah for his people. That, and he is scared that Joshua’s kind way and trust in the good of people will get him killed. This following passage is taken from when Joshua is learning the ancient art of meditation from his teacher Gaspar, who is one of the Magi that was present at his humble birth. I just love it, and think it illustrates Moore’s style perfectly.
“Sitting was what we did. To learn to sit, to be still and hear the music of the universe, was why we had come halfway around the world, evidently. To let go of ego, not individuality, but that which distinguishes us from all other beings. ‘When you sit, sit. When you breathe, breathe. When you eat, eat.’ Gaspar would say, meaning that every bit of our being was to be in the moment, completely aware of the now, no past, no future, nothing dividing us from everything that is.
It’s hard for me, a Jew, to stay in the moment. Without the past, where is the guilt? And without the future, where is the dread? And without guilt and dread who am I?"
Beautiful, no?
Biff is like that guy in high school that made corny jokes and wanted to be a kick ass ninja that you rolled your eyes at. But he was also that friend you could ALWAYS count on to be rational, to cover your ass, to never doubt your methods…ever. I mean, his best friend is a pretty big deal. He is jealous at times sure, but he also makes fart jokes with Christ and tries to teach him about sex.
I love this book because it draws attention to something that always intrigued me about the Christianity. Jesus was human. He grew up. He doubted his life. And his humanity is what makes people worship him, not his omnipotence…In theory anyway….Moore takes the holiness, and sacredness, and delicacy away from the whole period surrounding Jesus of Nazareth. He compares God to James Earl Jones, he makes his Christ character a likeable dude who is just SO naïve about the evils of the world. He makes Jesus QUESTION God, his father, like any young person questions their parents. And he does it in such a gosh darn charming way. Like dude, Christ says fuck all the time in this book.
Moore-over (ha, see what I did there) I loved the idea that Jesus sacrifices himself to rebel against God. We all know the God of the First Testament was a total dick. (Really no offence meant here) He always asked for people to be sacrificed and killed, and flooded the earth and all that stuff. Moore brings up a point that maybe Jesus sacrifices himself to show his pops that things need to be changed. By sacrificing himself maybe God will realize that there need not BE any more sacrifices, and change the way things work in terms of worship.
One beef with the book, but not really beef because I understand it, but as a reader just makes me frustrated. The abrupt ending. Moore ends all of the books I’ve read so far in just…..an ending. I won’t really ruin it. And there really is no other way of ending it, because we know Jesus does eventually die. But I guess it’s really MOORE of a good thing. I was sad when it was over.
Peacfully and Forcibly Yours,
Lady Emily
(Currently reading: Stardust by Neil Gaiman)
That’s what I like. Self-growth and actualization that can be associated with a specific part on your journey. IT’s just such a nice combination.
I am not on a journey; I am living in Rogers Park, working a silly job, and getting drunk on my couch.
But, this is not meant to be a pity party, it’s good. And we talk about books here.
Enter Lamb, by Christopher Moore. I just…... adored this book. I love the idea of it, I marvel at his courage as a writer to hold such a respect for an age old story, but also make me giggle in bed, (while reading people….gosh dirty minds) but also make me cry from the deep, deep running friendship themes. I also didn’t feel like a moron reading it because it forced me look things up, and wonder about that book called the Bible, which actually turns out to be full of awesome stories…and wonderful life lessons. This is ironic because our generation LOVES bashing the Bible. But I’m serious. I like the book as a book. No. I like the book as it is associated with centuries and generations of different takes on spirituality, because that is just beautiful.
Sorry, that’s not the book this entry is about.
Lamb is s a coming of age story, an adventure, freaking hilarious, and painfully heartfelt. You first-handedly experience the struggles that two young boys experience as they realize that suffering and disappointment is just as real as a sense of security and the idea of peace. Moore mixes an ancient religion with an accurate human viewpoint on life. His writing may indicate a lack of respect for Christianity and religion in general, but he really ends up validating all ways of thinking, and pays a tribute to Jesus Christ. (In my opinion)
Biff accompanies Joshua on his quest for knowledge and understanding, with the hope that Joshua (Jesus) will learn how to actually BE the messiah for his people. That, and he is scared that Joshua’s kind way and trust in the good of people will get him killed. This following passage is taken from when Joshua is learning the ancient art of meditation from his teacher Gaspar, who is one of the Magi that was present at his humble birth. I just love it, and think it illustrates Moore’s style perfectly.
“Sitting was what we did. To learn to sit, to be still and hear the music of the universe, was why we had come halfway around the world, evidently. To let go of ego, not individuality, but that which distinguishes us from all other beings. ‘When you sit, sit. When you breathe, breathe. When you eat, eat.’ Gaspar would say, meaning that every bit of our being was to be in the moment, completely aware of the now, no past, no future, nothing dividing us from everything that is.
It’s hard for me, a Jew, to stay in the moment. Without the past, where is the guilt? And without the future, where is the dread? And without guilt and dread who am I?"
Beautiful, no?
Biff is like that guy in high school that made corny jokes and wanted to be a kick ass ninja that you rolled your eyes at. But he was also that friend you could ALWAYS count on to be rational, to cover your ass, to never doubt your methods…ever. I mean, his best friend is a pretty big deal. He is jealous at times sure, but he also makes fart jokes with Christ and tries to teach him about sex.
I love this book because it draws attention to something that always intrigued me about the Christianity. Jesus was human. He grew up. He doubted his life. And his humanity is what makes people worship him, not his omnipotence…In theory anyway….Moore takes the holiness, and sacredness, and delicacy away from the whole period surrounding Jesus of Nazareth. He compares God to James Earl Jones, he makes his Christ character a likeable dude who is just SO naïve about the evils of the world. He makes Jesus QUESTION God, his father, like any young person questions their parents. And he does it in such a gosh darn charming way. Like dude, Christ says fuck all the time in this book.
Moore-over (ha, see what I did there) I loved the idea that Jesus sacrifices himself to rebel against God. We all know the God of the First Testament was a total dick. (Really no offence meant here) He always asked for people to be sacrificed and killed, and flooded the earth and all that stuff. Moore brings up a point that maybe Jesus sacrifices himself to show his pops that things need to be changed. By sacrificing himself maybe God will realize that there need not BE any more sacrifices, and change the way things work in terms of worship.
One beef with the book, but not really beef because I understand it, but as a reader just makes me frustrated. The abrupt ending. Moore ends all of the books I’ve read so far in just…..an ending. I won’t really ruin it. And there really is no other way of ending it, because we know Jesus does eventually die. But I guess it’s really MOORE of a good thing. I was sad when it was over.
Peacfully and Forcibly Yours,
Lady Emily
(Currently reading: Stardust by Neil Gaiman)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Dapper Men and the Blood Lily
Hello Laaadieeees and internet!
Friday was my day off. I hadn't really made plans, except to do some minor laundry and sort out my schedule for the coming month. Life! (Don't talk to me about life.) (...anyone? ...anyone?) So instead of actually making plans with other people or to go window-shop the Magnificent Mile like I usually do, I curled up at home with a few books I had been meaning to read. I'll preface this with the fact that I read very, very quickly. I don't read fast because it looks cool to read fast. I read fast because I just read damn fast. In preschool, I talked my teacher into private tutoring me on reading a whole year before the other kids. By the time kindergarten hit, I was bringing in "Stuart Little," "Charlotte's Web," and things like that while the other kids were bringing in "Go Dog Go" and "Red Fish, Blue Fish, One Fish, Two Fish." When I brought in Louisa May Alcott's classic novel "Little Women" to read, my teacher felt it was the last straw and sent me home with a note that day which politely but firmly requested I no longer bring outside reading from home as it was becoming demoralizing to the other children.
Happily indifferent to these social mistakes, I continued to read things bigger and more difficult as I grew older, and it is the founding factor (I believe) in my book addiction. (You recently read about Erin's addiction, so I thought I'd give you an overview of mine.)
ANYHOW. Back to Friday. I sat down to read a recently published graphic novel/picture book called "The Return of the Dapper Men" - by Jim McCann and Janet Lee. The trailer is below:
First, I would like to take a small detour and say that anytime anybody writes something whimsical, fantastical, and deeply honest in the memory of our childhood magic, SOMEBODY always compares it to or categorizes it with "Alice in Wonderland." This, I feel, is a grave mistake. "Alice" is certainly an outstanding example of all of those things, yes, but it is its own beast, and just because something is childlike and full of mystery doesn't mean it's anything like "Alice." Here, especially, I don't think "Dapper Men" is anything like "Alice." Just wanted to say that there are other things you can compare things to than that ONE BOOK everybody is supposed to have read. Ahem. I will put away my little soap box now and continue.
"Dapper Men" is more of the vein of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's delicate children's-story-for-adults "Le Petit Prince" than it is "Alice in Wonderland." The world of the "Dapper Men" is quite simple, but as time has gone missing and there are only children who never grow old (no time) and robots who never stop working (no time) it becomes a conundrum that nobody can remember what they have forgotten about themselves and their world. When the clock begins to tick and tock again, time comes back, and with it the Dapper Men descend from the sky to fix all that has fallen to waste in their absence.
The charming 41, the Dapper Man who greets the hero Ayden and his best friend, robot girl Zoe, is immediately likened (in my mind) to the Doctor (of Doctor Who) -- he is cheerful, caring, and here to fix everybody's problems. His humor is also very Doctor-like, and in fact, it would not be too far of a stretch to compare the other Dapper Men to Time Lords.... But I won't get into it.
The book is beautifully written by Jim McCann and absolutely jaw-droppingly illustrated by Janet Lee --it is worth it for the artwork alone, but the story is absolutely wonderful. I am really glad I didn't wait to borrow it from someone and got my own copy, because it is gorgeous. A must have for any would-be steampunk's coffee table array, and certainly a must-have for lovers of the fantastic.
The second book I read on my day off was Lauren Willig's "The Betrayal of the Blood Lily." Willig has a series of historical fiction/espionage/romance novels, which started with "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation" -- which obviously I highly recommend. I found it (as I do most of my favorite books) quite by accident and have read all through the series now except for the most recent, "The Mischief of the Mistletoe." Yes, they all have clever flower names in titles. That's part of the thing. You'll see.
I don't want to give anything away, since the books are rooted in mystery and sort of an ongoing fictional history of the same set of characters and their friends, but "Blood Lily" is delicious. It starts a bit slow, though, and the present-day storyline with research student Eloise and her recently acquired British boyfriend Colin sort of staying out of the spotlight in this book -- generally the books are dual storylines, cutting from present day Eloise to the past she is researching, spies in Britain and France during the 18th century. Even so, the historical storyline is wonderful. Penelope is not quite wicked and not quite noble, but she is feisty and admirable nonetheless. Her adventures in India seem to kindle her true self, just as the handsome Captain Alex Reid kindles a true emotion in her where her husband (the unfortunately boring Freddy Staines, whom she was found compromised with and forced to marry) fails.
Again, I highly recommend Willig's books -- the mysteries are addictive and the humor is very smart, but beyond all that, the romance is terribly romantic and well-written. At no point does anything reach absurdity, which is the sign of a writer who can write several genres at once and do it well.
That's all for now, and I'm sure this post is obscenely long.
Ta!
Lady Alyson
(currently reading: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler; next up: The Tower, The Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart.)
Friday was my day off. I hadn't really made plans, except to do some minor laundry and sort out my schedule for the coming month. Life! (Don't talk to me about life.) (...anyone? ...anyone?) So instead of actually making plans with other people or to go window-shop the Magnificent Mile like I usually do, I curled up at home with a few books I had been meaning to read. I'll preface this with the fact that I read very, very quickly. I don't read fast because it looks cool to read fast. I read fast because I just read damn fast. In preschool, I talked my teacher into private tutoring me on reading a whole year before the other kids. By the time kindergarten hit, I was bringing in "Stuart Little," "Charlotte's Web," and things like that while the other kids were bringing in "Go Dog Go" and "Red Fish, Blue Fish, One Fish, Two Fish." When I brought in Louisa May Alcott's classic novel "Little Women" to read, my teacher felt it was the last straw and sent me home with a note that day which politely but firmly requested I no longer bring outside reading from home as it was becoming demoralizing to the other children.
Happily indifferent to these social mistakes, I continued to read things bigger and more difficult as I grew older, and it is the founding factor (I believe) in my book addiction. (You recently read about Erin's addiction, so I thought I'd give you an overview of mine.)
ANYHOW. Back to Friday. I sat down to read a recently published graphic novel/picture book called "The Return of the Dapper Men" - by Jim McCann and Janet Lee. The trailer is below:
First, I would like to take a small detour and say that anytime anybody writes something whimsical, fantastical, and deeply honest in the memory of our childhood magic, SOMEBODY always compares it to or categorizes it with "Alice in Wonderland." This, I feel, is a grave mistake. "Alice" is certainly an outstanding example of all of those things, yes, but it is its own beast, and just because something is childlike and full of mystery doesn't mean it's anything like "Alice." Here, especially, I don't think "Dapper Men" is anything like "Alice." Just wanted to say that there are other things you can compare things to than that ONE BOOK everybody is supposed to have read. Ahem. I will put away my little soap box now and continue.
"Dapper Men" is more of the vein of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's delicate children's-story-for-adults "Le Petit Prince" than it is "Alice in Wonderland." The world of the "Dapper Men" is quite simple, but as time has gone missing and there are only children who never grow old (no time) and robots who never stop working (no time) it becomes a conundrum that nobody can remember what they have forgotten about themselves and their world. When the clock begins to tick and tock again, time comes back, and with it the Dapper Men descend from the sky to fix all that has fallen to waste in their absence.
The charming 41, the Dapper Man who greets the hero Ayden and his best friend, robot girl Zoe, is immediately likened (in my mind) to the Doctor (of Doctor Who) -- he is cheerful, caring, and here to fix everybody's problems. His humor is also very Doctor-like, and in fact, it would not be too far of a stretch to compare the other Dapper Men to Time Lords.... But I won't get into it.
The book is beautifully written by Jim McCann and absolutely jaw-droppingly illustrated by Janet Lee --it is worth it for the artwork alone, but the story is absolutely wonderful. I am really glad I didn't wait to borrow it from someone and got my own copy, because it is gorgeous. A must have for any would-be steampunk's coffee table array, and certainly a must-have for lovers of the fantastic.
The second book I read on my day off was Lauren Willig's "The Betrayal of the Blood Lily." Willig has a series of historical fiction/espionage/romance novels, which started with "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation" -- which obviously I highly recommend. I found it (as I do most of my favorite books) quite by accident and have read all through the series now except for the most recent, "The Mischief of the Mistletoe." Yes, they all have clever flower names in titles. That's part of the thing. You'll see.
I don't want to give anything away, since the books are rooted in mystery and sort of an ongoing fictional history of the same set of characters and their friends, but "Blood Lily" is delicious. It starts a bit slow, though, and the present-day storyline with research student Eloise and her recently acquired British boyfriend Colin sort of staying out of the spotlight in this book -- generally the books are dual storylines, cutting from present day Eloise to the past she is researching, spies in Britain and France during the 18th century. Even so, the historical storyline is wonderful. Penelope is not quite wicked and not quite noble, but she is feisty and admirable nonetheless. Her adventures in India seem to kindle her true self, just as the handsome Captain Alex Reid kindles a true emotion in her where her husband (the unfortunately boring Freddy Staines, whom she was found compromised with and forced to marry) fails.
Again, I highly recommend Willig's books -- the mysteries are addictive and the humor is very smart, but beyond all that, the romance is terribly romantic and well-written. At no point does anything reach absurdity, which is the sign of a writer who can write several genres at once and do it well.
That's all for now, and I'm sure this post is obscenely long.
Ta!
Lady Alyson
(currently reading: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler; next up: The Tower, The Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart.)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Free is Always the Best Price
Hello, my name is Lady Erin. And I am addicted to books.
This is not just a slight or passing addiction. I am hardcore addicted to books (which turns out to be decidedly convenient since I am also a hardcore reader). And let me tell you, it is a job in and of itself acquiring as many books as I have over my long running obsession. I will search and hunt and scrape up books from every possible source. There is no simply walking into Barnes & Noble and poking around to satisfy my need for books. Will I walk into Barnes & Noble with no plan to buy anything and inevitably leave with half a dozen books that I never knew I could not live without? Yes. Would some people say this is unhealthy? Yes, but... whatever.
But it does not end there.
My addiction to finding and attaining books started when I was very young. I remember very clearly getting the Scholastic catalogs in elementary school. I would take my allowance that I'd earned from doing horrible things like emptying the garbage and setting the table and other horrible tortures designed to humiliate and destroy the soul of 9 year olds, and every time a Scholastic came I would search through it and find all of the 50 cent and dollar priced books and order every single one, almost regardless of what it was about. And when they were finally delivered to the classroom I would get so excited and promptly read each and every single one of them and absolutely love it.
And thus began two of my life goals: 1. Own (and read) as many books as possible, ideally enough to have my own library at some point in the distant grown-up future 2. Never ever pay full price for anything, ever.
(I am very good at both of these things)
Now, gathering the books for what will some day be an obviously epic library while remaining true to your life goal of "Never spend money" turns out to be rather difficult if you're not willing to work for it. Which I am. It involves lots of time committed to combing the 99 cent books on Half.com and Amazon, to searching through the (mostly crap) in the discount sections of Barnes and Noble, Schuler's, Borders and any other store you can find, and convincing all of your friends to give you all of the books they no longer want or have no desire to read or re-read.
It's a job.
But the end result is that you 1. are exposed to many, many, many books that you may never have even imagined would cross your path, 2. have spent virtually no money while somehow acquiring an awesome collection.
And now we come to the whole point of this blog.
Last night I went to a bar for the first time (which is less than a block away from my house, and so is somewhat amazing that I still had not managed to once go there before last night), and discovered my own personal jackpot.
A thing that occurs sometimes, much to my great surprise and delight every time, is that people give away books. Free! For nothing!!
And, it just so happened that of all of the places I could have possibly gone last night, at this bar less than a block away from my house, sitting at a table with my friends I look over and there next to me is a small bookcase, full of books, and a box underneath it labeled free books. And so obviously I dug through all of those books (mostly crap) and walked away with four books (an anthology of Roman drama, a memoir of a man coming of age in the 50's, a book about a woman in her 30's discovering herself, and ... something else that escapes me at the moment, but I'm sure it was awesome) and a feeling that I had accomplished something. Part of that something of course was convincing my friends who kept saying "Are you sure that you're allowed to take these?" that "Hello, the box said free! If they didn't want me to take them they should never have put such false advertising on it!"
So what does this mean to you?
It doesn't mean anything. Except that I love books. And that if you want to send me your old, no longer wanted books, I will gladly accept them.
Best wishes,
Lady Erin
(currently reading: Dr. Nina and the Panther by Shirley P. Wheeler)
This is not just a slight or passing addiction. I am hardcore addicted to books (which turns out to be decidedly convenient since I am also a hardcore reader). And let me tell you, it is a job in and of itself acquiring as many books as I have over my long running obsession. I will search and hunt and scrape up books from every possible source. There is no simply walking into Barnes & Noble and poking around to satisfy my need for books. Will I walk into Barnes & Noble with no plan to buy anything and inevitably leave with half a dozen books that I never knew I could not live without? Yes. Would some people say this is unhealthy? Yes, but... whatever.
But it does not end there.
My addiction to finding and attaining books started when I was very young. I remember very clearly getting the Scholastic catalogs in elementary school. I would take my allowance that I'd earned from doing horrible things like emptying the garbage and setting the table and other horrible tortures designed to humiliate and destroy the soul of 9 year olds, and every time a Scholastic came I would search through it and find all of the 50 cent and dollar priced books and order every single one, almost regardless of what it was about. And when they were finally delivered to the classroom I would get so excited and promptly read each and every single one of them and absolutely love it.
And thus began two of my life goals: 1. Own (and read) as many books as possible, ideally enough to have my own library at some point in the distant grown-up future 2. Never ever pay full price for anything, ever.
(I am very good at both of these things)
Now, gathering the books for what will some day be an obviously epic library while remaining true to your life goal of "Never spend money" turns out to be rather difficult if you're not willing to work for it. Which I am. It involves lots of time committed to combing the 99 cent books on Half.com and Amazon, to searching through the (mostly crap) in the discount sections of Barnes and Noble, Schuler's, Borders and any other store you can find, and convincing all of your friends to give you all of the books they no longer want or have no desire to read or re-read.
It's a job.
But the end result is that you 1. are exposed to many, many, many books that you may never have even imagined would cross your path, 2. have spent virtually no money while somehow acquiring an awesome collection.
And now we come to the whole point of this blog.
Last night I went to a bar for the first time (which is less than a block away from my house, and so is somewhat amazing that I still had not managed to once go there before last night), and discovered my own personal jackpot.
A thing that occurs sometimes, much to my great surprise and delight every time, is that people give away books. Free! For nothing!!
And, it just so happened that of all of the places I could have possibly gone last night, at this bar less than a block away from my house, sitting at a table with my friends I look over and there next to me is a small bookcase, full of books, and a box underneath it labeled free books. And so obviously I dug through all of those books (mostly crap) and walked away with four books (an anthology of Roman drama, a memoir of a man coming of age in the 50's, a book about a woman in her 30's discovering herself, and ... something else that escapes me at the moment, but I'm sure it was awesome) and a feeling that I had accomplished something. Part of that something of course was convincing my friends who kept saying "Are you sure that you're allowed to take these?" that "Hello, the box said free! If they didn't want me to take them they should never have put such false advertising on it!"
So what does this mean to you?
It doesn't mean anything. Except that I love books. And that if you want to send me your old, no longer wanted books, I will gladly accept them.
Best wishes,
Lady Erin
(currently reading: Dr. Nina and the Panther by Shirley P. Wheeler)
Friday, January 14, 2011
You Should Give a Fuck
I am not a blogger. I am just a person who loves to read. I also love parenthesizes.
With that being said, I'd like to introduce myself to you with an author named Christopher Moore.
My love affair with Christopher Moore began in 2007 with a book called A Dirty Job. If you haven't yet discovered Christopher Moore or read A Dirty Job then I don't know what you've been doing with your lives, but you need some to do serious literary re-prioritizing.
In the three years since my discovery I have made my way through all 12 of the books in his canon (yes, I did use the word canon, deal with it), making him the second author for which I have done so, following only Chuck Palahnuik. Having just finished my last book to reach this milestone, I found it only appropriate to start your love affair with my reading list over The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror.
The Stupidest Angel is a hilarious Christmas novel set in Pine Cove, CA (also the setting for The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove) and is a brilliant mashup of characters from all over Moore's canon -- a specialty of his just happens to be cross cutting characters, leaving easter eggs for readers with almost any book you pick up (with the exception, ironically, of my favorite: Fool) -- including The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Lamb, and The Island of the Sequined Love Nun.
We find our hero, Theo Crow, former mega-stoner and star of Lust Lizard, once again in Pine Cove (apparently the epicenter of the world for paranormal and fantastical activity) just in time for the holiday festivities. However, the stupidest angel in the history of creation, Raziel, has come to fuck shit up. The Christmas season quickly turns into an almost slapstick game of Theo trying to manage the town (and out of town) crazies, the murder of Santa Claus, a suspicious possible robot and/or child molester, and, prepare yourself, motherfucking zombies.
Because, what's a decent Christmas novel if it doesn't include any zombies?
The Stupidest Angel was the perfect capstone to my Christopher Moore experience, and left me eagerly awaiting his next novel (which cannot come soon enough).
Links!
Christopher Moore's site: http://www.chrismoore.com/books.html
Buy his things on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Christopher+Moore&x=18&y=12
So, yeah, that's kind of who I am. I love Christopher Moore, but I also love a lot of things and will read pretty much anything. I may not be totally great at this whole "blogging" thing but stick with me, and I'll get there. And hey, if nothing else my reading list will blow your mind.
Your faithful reader,
Lady Erin
(currently reading: Dr. Nina and the Panther by Shirley P. Wheeler)
With that being said, I'd like to introduce myself to you with an author named Christopher Moore.
My love affair with Christopher Moore began in 2007 with a book called A Dirty Job. If you haven't yet discovered Christopher Moore or read A Dirty Job then I don't know what you've been doing with your lives, but you need some to do serious literary re-prioritizing.
In the three years since my discovery I have made my way through all 12 of the books in his canon (yes, I did use the word canon, deal with it), making him the second author for which I have done so, following only Chuck Palahnuik. Having just finished my last book to reach this milestone, I found it only appropriate to start your love affair with my reading list over The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror.
The Stupidest Angel is a hilarious Christmas novel set in Pine Cove, CA (also the setting for The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove) and is a brilliant mashup of characters from all over Moore's canon -- a specialty of his just happens to be cross cutting characters, leaving easter eggs for readers with almost any book you pick up (with the exception, ironically, of my favorite: Fool) -- including The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Lamb, and The Island of the Sequined Love Nun.
We find our hero, Theo Crow, former mega-stoner and star of Lust Lizard, once again in Pine Cove (apparently the epicenter of the world for paranormal and fantastical activity) just in time for the holiday festivities. However, the stupidest angel in the history of creation, Raziel, has come to fuck shit up. The Christmas season quickly turns into an almost slapstick game of Theo trying to manage the town (and out of town) crazies, the murder of Santa Claus, a suspicious possible robot and/or child molester, and, prepare yourself, motherfucking zombies.
Because, what's a decent Christmas novel if it doesn't include any zombies?
The Stupidest Angel was the perfect capstone to my Christopher Moore experience, and left me eagerly awaiting his next novel (which cannot come soon enough).
Links!
Christopher Moore's site: http://www.chrismoore.com/books.html
Buy his things on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Christopher+Moore&x=18&y=12
So, yeah, that's kind of who I am. I love Christopher Moore, but I also love a lot of things and will read pretty much anything. I may not be totally great at this whole "blogging" thing but stick with me, and I'll get there. And hey, if nothing else my reading list will blow your mind.
Your faithful reader,
Lady Erin
(currently reading: Dr. Nina and the Panther by Shirley P. Wheeler)
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Meet Your LAAAADIES
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| Lady Atra |
Born and and raised in Chicago, and now residing in Vaguesville where the streets are kind of cold but also kind of warm, and the houses are there, and the word love is used sometimes a little bit, she works as a professional shrugger.
Atra's first book was Thomas the Tank Engine (the one where the cows get stuck on the railroad and he tells them to move, and they just Moo, and he goes "No, not 'MOO!', MOVE!" comedy gold.) Her favorite book is the Dictionary. It is cozied up to her pillow every night.
Dream: "To be so rich that I can move anywhere in the world for as long as I wish and only pack books (and gold bricks.)"
Some Secrets: Hates the phrase "Shut up" in every way. (yeah, that could be a set up.) Loves parentheticals. (a lot.) And finds it a little weird when she has to use quotes when referencing herself in first person, in her own bio, that she is writing in 3rd person. "Ew."
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| Lady Erin |
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| Lady Alexis |
Alexis is at best described as eclectic. Her book shelves are brimming with books ranging from Star Trek mystery novels to the history of the courtesans. Although she reads more than the average bear she buys more books than her eyes will tolerate (a habit she is desperately trying to rid herself of to no avail). She enjoys being laced in corsets and sipping tea while fantasizing about the various menfolk she reads in these books.
Alexis likes smut and if reading a book with no smut she secretly inserts a smutty line (or chapter) to spice up the read.
She has many tattoos, is an actress in Chicago, worships the trees, thinks her cat is a drag queen, wishes she was Welsh, is proud of her lady bits, loves lists & ampersands, writes terrible poetry and is admittedly a Shakespeare snob.
(For the record Alexis is the one with poor spelling and grammar. Reviews on comics, romance novels and children’s books to be expected.)
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| Lady Alyson |
Aly Grauer is sometimes called Alyson, and she has finally come to peace with both versions of her name. You can pick and choose. She lives in Rogers Park and writes a great deal of fiction as well as reading all sorts of sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, historical fiction, plays, memoirs, and contemporary fiction. She is a tea snob, plays the ukelele, and has a deeply ingrained instinct to become a time traveler and-slash-or vigilante of some kind. That is to say, she has a running list of people to meet and things to witness when she acquires a time machine. She has her own blog Worthy Cogitations. She writes TV recaps of Grey's Anatomy and The Chicago Code at The Faster Times and she also writes fashion commentary for Glee and The Vampire Diaries on You Know You Love Fashion.
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| Lady Emily |
Emily Bates discovered reading in the womb when her mother accidentally swallowed part of a snickers wrapper. CKERS meant something in that world out there, and Emily couldn't wait to find out what it was. She is a neat person who is always looking for an adventure. Read. Just read.
this is my bio.
i am not very good at writing.
but i am really good at sitting on couches. similarly, reading is a strong suit.
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| Lady Elise |
i am not very good at writing.
but i am really good at sitting on couches. similarly, reading is a strong suit.
Welcome to Our Blog
This is a blog about books & ladies. Specifically ladies who read books -- lots & lots of books. Six fabulous female bibliophiles who read everything from Chekov to Rowling, from steamy to steampunk, from classics to…well not classics. Some of us are writers, some poets, some hate to write (but love to read!!), some are very bad at spelling & grammar and some are brilliant. Some will write academic reviews, some artsy reviews, some will barely write words.
Enjoy, comment, follow, suggest books, and if you must be rude please be considerate enough to be cheeky.
Love Yours Always,
LAAAADIES (and books)
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