Books! Books!

So far this week, I have finished 3 books. They were all very good, but very different.

I finally finished Saboteurs: The Nazi Raid on America by Michael Dobbs. I heard about the book from an episode of This American Life and the book combined two of my greatest interests: Nazi and the death penalty. The book started off kind of weak and honestly, if I hadn't already heard the story on TAL, I probably would have quit reading it, but I am so glad I didn't. The book turned out so well. The amount of research Dobbs must have done for this book absolutely blew my mind. The end, even though I knew what was coming, still made me really sad.

The second I finished that book I started The Whore's Child and Other Stories by Richard Russo. The first story in the book, The Whore's Child, made me enormously sad. This on top of the ending of the Nazi book were just too much and put me in quite the mood for the rest of the day. The story was fantastic and the best in the collection, but all the stories were good and you can really see how his novels incorporated the short stories.

Just about an hour ago, I finished Manic Magee by Jerry Spinelli. It is a Newberry award winning book, but I had never read it before. I absolutely loved it sometimes and other times I didn't like it at all. His writing style was amazing and engaging and varied and I really appreciated that from young adult literature, but sometimes I felt almost manipulated and the story felt too contrived. Those moments were few and far between and since the book is less than 200 pages it wasn't so bad. The ending was perfect. Probably one of the best book endings I have ever read. I honestly don't know if this book would have meant as much to be had I read it when I was at that reading level.
I am starting No One Belongs Here More than You by Miranda July and I have been anxiously awaiting this book for what seems like forever.

Since everyone else is doing it

It is the six year anniversary of Sept. 11th. I have a lot of political opinions about the whole situation (from the US response to New York's handling of ground zero), but that isn't for here. A lot of great fictions has come out of the events and since I love books, it is what is being addressed today.
The Zero by Jess Walters. I already talked about this book because it is so good and so engrossing that thinking about anything else while you are reading it is impossible. It is entirely disjointed. Reading the book makes you feel like I imagine you would have felt had you been at the World Trade Center that day. It is unclear who is a hero and who is a coward, who is lying and who is trustworthy, what is going on and why. The book is just amazing and deeply effective.
Falling Man by Don Delillo. To be fair, I haven't read this book, but I plan to and it is going to be fantastic. Not only is Delillo incredibly talented, but he has an astounding grasp of the human condition.
I was going to post the image of the Falling Man, but I can't bring myself to, as I still find the picture overwhelming and I don't think it is fair to surprise people with it.
And to end on a cheery note:
Knock Knock
Who's there?
Sept. 11th
Sept. 11th who?
You said you'd never forget!

Have a good Patriot Day. Be nice to people.

[image from Amazon.com]

I meant to post this the other day

I thought maybe it would alienate people, but if you are as in love with Richard Feynman as the rest of the science-loving world is, then you will find this to be awesomely amusing. If you don't know him, I have a book you should read.

More Books

I just finished The Zero by Jess Walters and it was fucking fantastic. I can't remember the last time I tore through a book like I did this one.

I also finished Straight Man by Richard Russo while I was in California. I have one more book that I decided to check out from the library off the McSweeney's Recommends list and I am looking forward to reading it. Also, I need to go back through that list and read everything ever recommended because these books have been that good.
I would like to point out the McSweeney's Recommends The Wire. It is the best show on television, seriously. Even if you don't like TV, it is worth watching. You know how you can tell it's good? No award nominations. Seriously.

This is so long

We are still in California. Let's play catch up.
Wednesday, we ate brunch at Mama’s. It was good though I don’t know if it was worth the wait. I should have gotten pancakes and fruit, the ultimate test of quality.
We checking into our hotel room, at Hotel Metropolis. It was on the border of a shady-ish neighborhood, but the hotel itself was wonderful. There was a mix-up with my reservation but everything turned out okay (though slightly more than I expected).


We shopped. I spent way too much money at Anthropologie, but I got a beautiful dress and a very pretty skirt and a shirt that I am still nervous about, though it looks nice on me so I think I am happy. I also bought a kick ass pair of red Nike’s from Urban Outfitters. They are a boy’s size six and they were the display shoes so they were half off and then UO was having a sale (probably online too) that gave half off anything on sale which brought the $80 shoes down to $20. They were also a million times better for walking around than my beat-up old Asics.

We walked around the city a bunch and shopped more and ate at Blondie’s (I am officially a bigger fan of Fat Slice) before heading back to our room and hanging out before we went to our show. It was at the Great American Music Hall (a beautiful venue), which is on O’Farrell St. O’Farrell scared me very much (mostly all the homeless) and I felt guilty about being afraid, but in my defense, the Florida homeless don’t wear large coats (because it is a million degrees) and the San Francisco homeless do, so they look bigger and more menacing.

-The weather has been beautiful-
The show! It was so awesome. The crowd was very cool, very indie, but not like pretentious indie. Everyone was a lot of fun and really seemed to enjoy themselves. The first act was Ingrid Michaelson. She was amazing. I had no idea who she was or what to expect, but she had a beautiful voice and a charming personality and I just adored her. She played with Ally Ross who I developed a crush on during the show, so much so that when she waved to the audience I WAVED BACK. I felt like such a nerd, but man, she was lovely. They were so good and the crowd for them was small but adoring. I felt so bad for the people that showed up late and missed them. Had they been it, it still would have been worth the $15 ticket. BUT then, The Little Ones performed. I had also never heard of them and AGAIN I was amazed by the quality. They were so good and energetic. They were quite a bit different than Ingrid Michaelson, but I was able to dance to them and the songs were so catchy and fun. Again, the show was only $15! It was so good. Finally (though it didn’t take long really) The Magic Numbers performed and I almost died a little. They are larger than life in so many senses (including the fact that they are all a bit overweight). Their set was amazing and even the lesser songs from the albums were good live. They didn’t perform one song I wanted to hear, but everything sounded so good that I was okay with it. I stood right in front of Angela which was a good place to be as she was the most adorable of the bunch. After their set ended, I asked one of the staff members from GAMH for the set list when he got back onstage. Not only did he give it to me, but he said “Only for you, darling,” which, of course, I adored.
The next day we went to Specialty’s for breakfast (I love Specialty’s) and cookies and the cookies were amazing, as usual.

We then headed to Chinatown, through North Beach, to Pier 39 (for In-N-Out) and then back up through North Beach to Union Square where I got See’s Candy and some lipgloss from Sephora (I didn’t have much time there),
We took the ferry home and I took a million pictures of everything, including San Quentin, because I am obsessed with prisons. I also got some beautiful shots of the city.


Today, we went to Berkeley and had a wonderful time. I got a Cal t-shirt, a beautiful vintage skirt, a Criterion, some comics/graphic novels/zines, books, and more In-N-Out (though in Mill Valley, there isn’t one in Berkeley). We went to all the best places: Rasputin’s (the other one), Amoeba (the other one), Mars (thrift shop), Crossroads (thrift shop), the campus bookstore (lame), Comic Relief (HUGE comic shop), Half Priced Books (bookstore), and Tully’s (coffee shop with good tea). The Berkeley campus was beautiful and the weather was perfect. It was a little warm in Berkeley, it got all the way up to 75. I have enjoyed driving the Infiniti we are borrowing from James’ family It drives really fun. Plus, driving in California is kickass. People aren’t slow and meek like in Florida.
I miss Gator Dawgs and the people, but other than that I would love to never leave. Tomorrow, we are headed to San Anselmo. And tonight, we are going to Fairfax (we hate Fairfax) to see Superbad.

SF Day 1

I am in San Francisco for a week with my boyfriend, James.
Our flight arrived early so we grabbed our bags and called our ride and headed into the city. We decided to do The Haight today because it is the opposite direction of everything else we want to do this week. We ate lunch at Fat Slice (which was better than I remember. I got a veggie slice and it was far better than the cheese). We went to Amoeba and marveled at their DVDs (all fairly priced meaning no purchasing. We only buy DVDs that are good deals) and noticed that we own a few off their rare/collectable wall, including the Old Boy tin.
We went to Booksmith and got some cute little books and looked for signed copies of things we wanted but we had less luck this time than last.
I went to a couple boutiques and tried on some dresses but it was mostly unflattering babydoll dresses so I didn’t buy any clothes.
We then walked from Haight and Ashbury to the Powell St. BART station, which was fun. We overheard a conversation in which one man was explaining that he needed to get off the “stuff” but there was no way he was doing methadone treatment. We saw another man speaking softly to his cocaine as he cut it on the windowsill of a convenience store. I had never seen cocaine in person before (I live a very sheltered life) so it was an exciting experience.
We took the Golden Gate Ferry back home. The ride was lovely, though very cold and wet. We sat outside so we could see the city and it was beautiful. The fog never lifted today so as we sailed away, we could see the Golden Gate Bridge peaking out of the fog. Now I am relaxing in Marin County, known for its wealth, specifically BMWs and cocaine use. It is beautiful, the weather is perfect and I never want to leave.
We took a car, a boat, a plane and a train today! I am so nerdy excited about that.

I just finished reading:

Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott. The book is short and just fantastic. It reads as if it were contemporary (it was written in 1884). Some of the ideas presented are at the base for contemporary scientific theory, like String Theory. Not only that, but Flatland is a social satire and many parts of the novella are quite funny and poignant. In one of the introductions in the copy I read (Oxford English), the idea of collection consciousness was proposed and that is an idea that I am quite interested in, even though it being true is as unlikely as there being a God.

I am in the process of reading:
Saboteurs: The Nazi Raid on America by Michael Dobbs
Straight Man by Richard Russo
and, the book I'll never finish,
What is Marriage For? by E.J. Graff

Dave Eggers Rules My World

He puts together the best books I have ever read. Awhile back, I read What is the What and it was fantastic, just amazing. Today I finished Surviving Justice: America's Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated.


The book is engaging and broken up into short segments so it is a great book to carry with you and read when you get a chance. It really makes you think about the penal system. Some of these people were on death row. They were supposed to be executed for a crime they didn't commit. And it isn't like the West Memphis Three, where everyone knows they didn't do it. There people's families turned on them. It is so heartbreaking. I really think it is important that people read books like this. I agree with Adam Carolla and his idea that "juror" should be a paid government job, like a cop. These people should need degrees and accurately represent the area population. They should know about law. I can convince someone who knows nothing about something to believe anything and that is what happened in a lot of these cases. I would also strongly recommend watching The Wire on HBO. Other than the fact the Omar is a total badass, the show gives you a really good look at what life is really like for criminals and cops. I found myself unsurprised by some of the things I read because I knew from The Wire that is was happening. Also, The Wire is clever, engaging, well-directed, well-shot, and well-written. It is literally the BEST television show I have ever seen and I watch a lot of TV.
But back to the book, I hope to find a signed copy while I am in San Francisco. The one I read is from the library and I am devastated I have to give it back. It is that good.

I want to buy things so badly

I am saving for San Francisco where I am planning to buy everything in the world. I am debating whether to go to Sephora or MAC. I am using up the last of my make-up. The only thing I won't consider buying is mascara, because the kind that I have is awesome and it is the only one that I have never had a bad reaction to. Oh Almay. And it is only like $4.
I can't wait to go to Berkeley and shop at all the cute little shops and buy the cutest things in the world. Though, let's be honest, we all know all my money is going to spent at Cody's, Booksmith, and Rasputin's.
Finally, I am considering getting an account at PersonalCloset.com. It seems like a neat idea and a good way to get designer clothing cheaper. The problem is, of course, that I was raised to believe that only the truly shallow think about things like fashion and the comfort is the most important thing. Whatever. I had hippie parents.
Also, there is this: Prickie. Everyone knows the buttons/pins bought from street vendors are cooler and generally more interesting, but some of the ones on there are really cute. I just don't know what I'd do with them.

Brief Review

I just finished The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders. The book is brief and easy to read but moving and complex. I would recommend it to anyone. Not only is it good, but reading it will make you feel smarter.

Books I'm Reading Right Now

The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders
Molloy by Samuel Beckett
Getting Even: Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men--and What to Do About It by Evelyn Murphy and E.J. Graff
The Corner by David Simon and Edward Burns
What is Marriage For? by E.J. Graff

Books

I am reading so much and I refuse to use bookmarks (they're for suckers), so I just have to guess where I was an then pick it up from there (generally page 39). What I have taken to doing is reading to the end of the chapter and then going back to where I started (this time) and reading back until I get to the point that I actually put down the book (the last time). You should try. It changes the whole fucking thing.

Books you should read because I am reading them:
The Jelly Donut Diet Book - It is not exactly good and the editing could be better, but someone published it as is. I find I like his personality enough to ignore the blatant mistakes.
The Corrections - I lied to someone and told them I read it twice. I have only read it once. I am in the middle of the second reading.
The last 3 issues of Esquire - that is when my subscription began and I am trying to catch up.
Off the Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor - Again, not the best storyteller, but the stories are too good(? interesting may be a better word) to not read.