Monthly Archives: January 2007

Special Topics in Calamity Physics

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Today I started Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. Heard very good things about it in the book club, and many reviews have placed her among some of my favorite authors such as Dave Eggers and Jonathan Safran Foer. I’m enjoying it immensely so far. I borrowed it from the library, as part of my For Goodness Sake Stop Buying So Many Books You Don’t Have The Money plan. However, so far this book is begging to be purchased, to live happily on my shelves forevermore.

Also, today I listened to the KCRW Bookworm podcast featuring Marisha Pessl. It was very interesting, and I’ll need to listen to it again when I finish the book. You can listen to it here, or  subscribe to their podcast on iTunes.  (This Friday’s podcast is Dave Eggers, can’t wait!)

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Currently Reading: HP1

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In anticipation of Book 7 this summer, I’m beginning to re-read all of the Harry Potter books.

I haven’t read any Harry Potter since book 6 came out, and I’m so happy to be reading the first book. They are so wonderful, and so fun to read (especially the first 4). It’s fun to be back at Hogwarts after so long away.

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QotD: Call The Fashion Police

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You must have been a fashion victim at least once in your life. What hideous blunder did you commit?
Submitted by Tina.

When I was very young my mom was at work and my dad let me dress myself for a birthday party I would be attending. When my mom picked me up on her way home from work, she found me there in a lavender dress and bright red tights.

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Currently Reading: High Fidelity

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I’m currently reading High Fidelity, which makes this my 3rd Nick Hornby book in a row. I fell hard for Nick Hornby. This is my first fiction book of his, as the other two were his essays in the Believer.

I’m really enjoying High Fidelity. I’ve loved the movie for years, especially since it’s a John Cusack movie. It’s interesting to read the book, and it will be very interesting if the experience is actually headed where I think it is: me loving both the movie and the book equally. That will be rare.

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The Library of Art Garfunkel

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Today one of my favorite blogs, Mental Floss, posted a link to Art Garfunkel’s web site, which has a list of every book Art Garfunkel has read since 1968.

I’m a huge fan of reading logs, and I love Simon & Garfunkel, so this was a very fun find today. I never knew Art was such a reader! He’s read a lot of amazing things. I like how it also includes a favorites list, and I like that everything is in order by the date he read it.

http://www.artgarfunkel.com/library.html

And just for fun, here’s my favorite S&G song:

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Housekeeping vs. The Dirt

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Housekeeping vs. Dirt
Nick Hornby

I finished Nick Hornby’s The Polysyllabic Spree, and absolutely loved it. It’s a collection of his columns from the Believer from September 2003 to November 2004. I was happy to discover there was another book, a continuation, with his columns from February 2005 to June/July 2006 – Housekeeping vs. The Dirt which I promptly went out and purchase at Barnes and Noble.

The Believer’s site describes it best:
Here, in his monthly accounts of what he‘s read — along with what he bought and may one day read — Nick Hornby ably explores everything from the classic to the graphic novel, as well as poems, plays, and sports-related exposes. And if he occasionally implores a biographer for brevity, or abandons a literary work in favor of an Arsenal soccer match, then all is not lost. His warm and riotous writing, full of all the joy and surprise and despair that books bring him, reveals why we still read, even when there’s soccer on TV, a pram in the hall, and a good band playing at our local bar.

Nick Hornby makes me love reading more, feel ok about the sheer mass of books on my ‘to-be-read-someday’ pile, and also helps clue me in on absolutely fantastic books to purchase next.

He also inspired me to keep track of my own Polysyllabic Spree, of books purchased and books read on a month to month breakdown, which I will do here: http://emwilson.googlepages.com/polysyllabicspree

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McSweeney's

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Me and RyanCAM_1720.jpgCAM_1715.jpgCAM_1714.jpg

(Above are some pictures I took in NYC right before going home for Christmas.)
I’ve been very interested in McSweeney’s lately. (http://www.mcsweeneys.net/) Dave Eggers is the editor of McSweeney’s Quarterly, and his books are now published through McSweeney’s as well. I really want to get a subscription to both of their magazines -  McSweeney’s and the Believer. McSweeney’s has awesome fiction, and was founded on the coolest idea…printing pieces that other magazines rejected. Now it’s much more than that, and a lot of wonderful authors regularly contribute.

The Believer is also completely awesome. I love that they will write about any book, it doesn’t have to be just published. I get tired of only being able to read about the very latest books in all the other book or entertainment magazines. There are way to many under appreciated books from the past that deserve to be talked about as well. I like hearing about new books too, but I like the combination.

McSweeney’s also has a really cool book subscription program – for $100 you will be sent the next 10 books they publish. This is a huge savings, and totally fun. It wouldn’t work for any huge publisher, too much stuff I wouldn’t ever want. But McSweeney’s publishes a very certain type of book, and so far I’ve loved every book of theirs I’ve read. My favorite humor books, the HOW series by Dr. Haggis-on-Whey (Animals of the Ocean; Giraffes, Giraffes!; and Your Disgusting Head).

Currently, I’m reading two books that McSweeney’s published, What is the What by Dave Eggers and The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby.

What is the What is incredible. Dave Eggers is so original and talented. McSweeney’s discribes the book book much better than I can, so here’s the link.

The Polysyllabic Spree is fantastic. All I really have to do is quote the blurb on the front for you to see why: “A hilarious and true account of one man’s struggle with the monthly tide of the books he’s bought and the books he’s been meaning to read.” Was this written just for me? Or, as Nick Hornby himself says in the book – “In other words, it wasn’t just up my street; it was actually knocking on my front door and peering through the letterbox to see if I was in.”

What Is the What
Dave Eggers

The Polysyllabic Spree
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Happy 2007

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Back in New York, and things are starting to settle down a little after an on-the-go and fun holiday break. I didn’t have time to do a lot of reading, all I managed to do was finish Wuthering Heights before Christmas.

I liked Wuthering Heights, and I would really like to discuss it in a book discussion group, because there is so much to talk about: The Brontes in general, how Emily is different than Charlotte, the reception of WH when it was published, the complex and disturbing characters, etc. I have a book of essays about WH that I am looking forward to reading. However, I didn’t *love* the book. I’m pretty sure that is a result of me not finding any of the characters the least bit likable. I found it hard to really love the book or desire to keep reading it when I didn’t care what happens to the characters.

Now I am reading Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. I’ve had a copy of the book since I found it at a used book sale in 2004, and am happy to finally be reading it. I also own Teacher Man, so I may continue with that, or try to find a copy of ‘Tis.

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