December 2010
50 posts
Day 11 - A book you hated
Hate is a strong word. I don’t think I could name a book that I truly “hated”; the cliche answer, of course, would be any books from the Twilight series, but what I dislike most about them is their fame and how they have momentarily crippled adolescent literature, not necessarily the books themselves (though, from the selections I have read, they are quite terrible). A book by...
Day 10 - Favorite classic book
Les Miserables is beautiful. There’s just no other way to describe it. Every character is so incredibly defined, and the story is well worth the length. There are a couple moments where it seems like Hugo kind of lost track of what he was talking about (the lengthy descriptions of Paris’ sewers being a prime example), but I can ignore that for the high-quality writing. For all of its...
Day 09 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but...
This past fall break, I went out to lunch with my grandmother. She, too, is an avid reader, and gave me a copy of Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White, as well as her hearty recommendation. I had never read any Collins, but I did know of him as a contemporary and peer of Dickens, whose work is very hit-or-miss for me. As such, I did not have great expectations for The Woman in White. I decided...
“If I have to be subjected to reviews of poetry books with lower print runs than,...”
– Warren Ellis
Day 08 - Most overrated book
Again, I can’t really know what the most overrated book is. However, I will say that — as a Kurt Vonnegut fan — Slaughterhouse-Five is a bit overrated. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a good book, but it isn’t that good. Before I read Slaughterhouse-Five I had read a few other books by Vonnegut, and loved every single one of them. I was excited to read his biggest...
Day 07 - Most underrated book
This is a silly one. If it was the most underrated, odds are that it would be underrated by me as well. Instead I’ll go with an underated book.
The Harry Potter series is by no means underrated. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. However, I feel that the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is severely underrated within the Harry Potter fandom. Nearly everyone I talk...
It’s never too late for the annual Venture...
Aspirations
I wish to one day be a moderately successful fiction writer. Not successful as in fabulously wealthy, of course, but as in making enough to live a decent life, with enough spare change to give back to the community. I suppose I’m not unique in this regard.
The problem? I rarely actually write fiction. That would be quite the roadblock, now wouldn’t it?
It’s not that I’m...
Day 06 - A book that makes you sad
As the title might suggest, Victor Hugo’s The Last Day of a Condemned Man is absolutely soul-crushing. This was only amplified by me reading it at the lowest point of one of my manic-depressive swings. I won’t spoil anything, but there are a few paragraphs at the end that may make up the saddest passage I have ever read. If you’ve never read any Hugo but are daunted by the...
Day 05 - A book that makes you happy
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett is an absolute riot. As well as being humorous, there are some legitimately heartwarming moments. To be honest, if I had read a few more books from the massive Discworld series, it probably would have beaten out Tolkien for my favorite series.
Day 04 - Favorite book of your favorite series
Despite the fact that The Lord of the Rings isn’t a series, per se (more of a novel sequence, I suppose), I’m going to go with The Two Towers. The Fellowship splits up at the beginning, so the (two) book(s) is(are) more divided in its(their) attention, which makes it a bit less tedious to read than following a single group’s exploits for a few hundred pages. Plus, the Battle of...
Day 03 - Your favorite series
I don’t read many book series anymore. Long ago, they used to be all I read, being a huge Sci-Fi and Fantasy nerd. However, most of them haven’t stood the test of time. I still, however, greatly enjoy Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. Not only did the series pretty much set the standard for all western fantasy that followed, it was also a great read. The Hobbit is still better,...
Day 02 - A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
I read Kurt Vonnegut’s book Cat’s Cradle my sophomore year of high school, if I remember correctly. I picked it up again about one year later, and read it approximately once a year for every year following (though it has been about two years now). I have probably read it four or five times since then, which is most likely the most I have ever reread a book (studying for classes...
Day 01 - Best book you read last year
Since we’re reaching the end of 2010, I’m going to interpret this as best book I read in 2010. That, my friends, would be Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. That tome took approximately two months to finish, if I remember correctly, and holds the record for most time-consuming novel I’ve finished. It was worth every minute, though. Every single character seemed far more natural...
Because I haven't done one in a while.
Maybe I’ll actually finish this one.
Day 01 - Best book you read last year
Day 02 - A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
Day 03 - Your favorite series
Day 04 - Favorite book of your favorite series
Day 05 - A book that makes you happy
Day 06 - A book that makes you sad
Day 07 - Most underrated book
Day 08 - Most overrated book
Day 09 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but...
matthew-online asked: In answer to your question, Walter: Eddie Berganza.
“I’m a traditional leftie. I believe in education, equality, and sending...”
– Warren Ellis
jamesurbaniak:
The Urbaniak Podcast, Episode...
Yes. Yes! YES!
Christmas Crack
Mike and I have a tendency to come up with ideas that drive the culinary arts into the ground. With that bit of warning, I would like to introduce our newest monstrosity, Christmas Crack. We started with Puppy Chow, otherwise known as Trash. If you’re not familiar with this confectionary delight, you melt chocolate and peanut butter, mix in some Chex or Crispix, and then shake it in a bag...
Sincerity
Thank you, Buzzfeed, for your 60 best new Tumblr Blogs of 2010. Now I have even more silly things to distract me.
The "01 and 10" Theory →
fuckyeahthomyorke:
“Consider that In Rainbows was meant to complement OK Computer, musically, lyrically, and in structure. We found that the two albums can be knit together beautifully. By combining the tracks to form one playlist, 01 and 10, we have a remarkable listening experience. The transitions between the songs are astounding, and it appears that this was done purposefully.”
I...
