1. Sexually, I'm More of a Switzerland: More Personal Ads from the London Review of Books. Edited by David Rose. (Hilarious & sweet. Perfect for when you might feel like the oddest crayon in the box. Will put a hold on the first one. Thanks to J. for handing it to me.)
2. House of Dolls by Francesca Lia Block (My favorite rockstar author takes a crack at kids books... It's okay, but it's no Dangerous Angels.)
3. All Things Alice by Linda Sunshine (Cute little book of Lewis Carroll quotes with masses of vintage illustrations.)
4. Almost French by Sarah Turnbull (Memoir. It was interesting to see Paris from the point of view of an outsider trying to make a life there & that kept me in it even though I was not enthralled by her writing style.)
5. Dandelion Fire: Book 2 of the 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson (I really enjoyed 100 Cupboards but in its trilogy I found myself just barely keeping track of the multiple characters roaming separately and by the end I just didn't care anymore. Have not put the third on hold.)
6. Matched by Alley Condie (Very cool. Utopia/dystopia/futuristic. What is you lived in a society that found your perfect mate for you? What if it was wrong? Fans of Hunger Games, Brave New World, 1984... anyway, it's great fun. Question authority, read poetry.)
7. Walks with Men: fiction by Anne Beattie
8. The Frozen Thames by Helem Humphreys (A collection of short stories that take place on or around the Thames at various times when it was frozen. Interesting meditation on cold, ice, celebration, life in London over a long period of time in snapshots of lives.)
9. Baby, Remember My Name: An Anthology of New Queer Girl Writing. Edited by Michelle Tea. (My favorite was "Homo Marriage Redux" by Zoe Whittal. Some fun stuff, some sad stuff, some strange stuff, that's how anthologies go.)
10. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride (I got through this because I liked the main character, but I'm a little critical of bringing this many kind of magical people into a reality (werewolves, necromancers, witches & more) theres a certain point where it just feels like someone pulled out a myth dictionary and started opening it at random & tossing out types. I think there were also parts that were supposed to be funny (idea propagated by Sherman Alexie quote on cover) that just weren't my kind of funny.... Not hating, but it wasn't quite for me.)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
A good breakfast better include tea
A short survey of my breakfast for Plinkyness, the usual, the ideal...
tea
Tea is warm & I'm always cold in the morning. It's enough caffeine to get me moving without the overpoweringness of coffee. It's gentle, & mornings seem so harsh.
protein & carb
Usually this is eggs & toast for me, but I greatly prefer having a noodle+tofu dish left over from the night before. Leftover phad thai or #17 from the pho shop is fantastic.
vitamins
I don't really like my little collection of moring pills, often make me gag a little, but the multi, rosemary, cranberry, flax seed oil, & allergy tablet keep my body happier than it is without them. If I don't take them after breakfast it just isn't going to happen.
I can't say 'no' to books
I can't not give book recommendations. If someone asks me I have to answer & sometimes I tell people about books when they don't really feel like listening.
I can't say no to greatly discounted dk yarn in blacks and or blues, espcially if machine washable or has any silk content.
...beach glass, sweet & sour "chicken," Heath or Skor bars, salads that include pear & walnuts...
....chai, earl grey, jasmine tea, anything in the antique shop with lace that fits me at all...
....my department manager, anyone crying on the phone, little kids reading books that remind me of anything I read as a kid (I just start jumping through hoops like its my job; it might be my job)...
...dogs-- they want petting & I'm their girl--
...boxes of book donations, even when everything on top looks trashy, & they smell a little heinous, there could be something really cool at the bottom, some Anne Sexton, or T.S. Eliot, or anything!
...wicked old dictionaries with beautiful curly typeface, even if the binding is dead the pages come home to become endpapers & other things...
...papercrafts, cut out constructables or origami, decoupage or bookmarks left by other people in library books...
...blank books of a roughly paperback size with sewn bindings & creamy paper...
...black pens with real ink (not Bics), hard tips, thin unbroken lines...
...very thin tipped paint brushes, neither weak nor too stiff, even though I already own more of these then I'll likely ever use up...
...double sided tape in handheld dispensers & glue in purse-sized quanities...
...shiny blue things...
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Best of 2010 Book List
So, the great recap of the year. No particular order...
Ooku: The Inner Chambers. by Fumi Yoshinaga.(series. manga. fantastic alter-history. Good enough that I got her entire early series, Antique Bakery, through ILL. Looking forward to anything she does in the future.)
Portable Childhoods: Stories by Ellen Klages (Wonderful fantasy short stories of a similar vein as Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things, only found because Gaiman did the introduction. She should be better known.)
The Anxiety of Everyday Objects by Aurelie Sheehan (Wonderfully written. The adventures of whimsical dreamer in an office job. You can relate? Excellent.)
The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault (A fun little mystery in a dictionary office. A treat for etymology geeks. Found by using that Amazon Recommends thing at the bottom of the page for Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie.)
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: a Flavia De Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley (Flavia has definately joined Witch Baby & Lisbeth Salander on my list of Fictional Rolemodels. She may be eleven but she's a chemistry genius with a knack for poisons, oh but she's the good guy/gal. I don't read a ton of mysteries but I can imagine resisting any bit of snooping Flavia might let me tag along for. Waiting for the third Flavia book in Feb 2011.)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson (The original title in Swedish translates to "Men Who Hate Women," and although fitting in many ways I would probably not have read this if that had been the title in english. I love this book and the main female character even if she is only sparsely characterized early in the book. She was instantly added to my fictional rolemodels. Not for the faint of heart; well worth the time.)
The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (This is a picture book look graphic novel. Very different style graphicly from Three Incestous Sisters and the Adventuress, and not as thematically difficult as the former & Her Fearful Symmetry. This is a the perfect bedtime story for bibliophiles in general, bibliophiles who work in libraries in particular.)
The Magicians by Lev Grossman (If Harry Potter were written for adults then it would be The Magicians. Excellent, also the mechanism of the magic system were way more likely than in the Potter-verse. Followed this up with Grossman's Codex, same main character for all purposes so is prbably standing in for Grossman himself, but I kind of like him so I didn't mind. Feel free to hit Codex instead if you'd rather paly with old books than magic.)
A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse' (I love this book! I made pages of notes on things to read, and there's some really lovely quotes on the importance of good books. It's a book about books, a mystery, a love story. Little bit of a slow start but well worth it. Sort of want to mail this to almost everyone I know.)
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious--and Perplexing -- City by David Lebovitz (This was a fun little foodie's biography as a Paris transplant. Great for getting great gritty daily city details & the otherness of being a cultural transplant.)
Ooku: The Inner Chambers. by Fumi Yoshinaga.(series. manga. fantastic alter-history. Good enough that I got her entire early series, Antique Bakery, through ILL. Looking forward to anything she does in the future.)
Portable Childhoods: Stories by Ellen Klages (Wonderful fantasy short stories of a similar vein as Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things, only found because Gaiman did the introduction. She should be better known.)
The Anxiety of Everyday Objects by Aurelie Sheehan (Wonderfully written. The adventures of whimsical dreamer in an office job. You can relate? Excellent.)
The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault (A fun little mystery in a dictionary office. A treat for etymology geeks. Found by using that Amazon Recommends thing at the bottom of the page for Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie.)
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: a Flavia De Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley (Flavia has definately joined Witch Baby & Lisbeth Salander on my list of Fictional Rolemodels. She may be eleven but she's a chemistry genius with a knack for poisons, oh but she's the good guy/gal. I don't read a ton of mysteries but I can imagine resisting any bit of snooping Flavia might let me tag along for. Waiting for the third Flavia book in Feb 2011.)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson (The original title in Swedish translates to "Men Who Hate Women," and although fitting in many ways I would probably not have read this if that had been the title in english. I love this book and the main female character even if she is only sparsely characterized early in the book. She was instantly added to my fictional rolemodels. Not for the faint of heart; well worth the time.)
The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (This is a picture book look graphic novel. Very different style graphicly from Three Incestous Sisters and the Adventuress, and not as thematically difficult as the former & Her Fearful Symmetry. This is a the perfect bedtime story for bibliophiles in general, bibliophiles who work in libraries in particular.)
The Magicians by Lev Grossman (If Harry Potter were written for adults then it would be The Magicians. Excellent, also the mechanism of the magic system were way more likely than in the Potter-verse. Followed this up with Grossman's Codex, same main character for all purposes so is prbably standing in for Grossman himself, but I kind of like him so I didn't mind. Feel free to hit Codex instead if you'd rather paly with old books than magic.)
A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse' (I love this book! I made pages of notes on things to read, and there's some really lovely quotes on the importance of good books. It's a book about books, a mystery, a love story. Little bit of a slow start but well worth it. Sort of want to mail this to almost everyone I know.)
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Dec. 2010
168. I am neurotic (and so are you) by Lianne Kong (Fans of PostSecret check this out.)
169. Emma 1 by Kaori Mori (Manga in 1800's England. Brainy maid meets gentleman, love & caste conflict.)
170. Emma 2
171. Emma 3
172. Scott Pilgrim's Fines Hour (Vol. 6) by Bryan O'Malley (I'm so done with this series.)
173. Eisenstaedt on Eisenstaedt (Photos & his notes. Amazing.)
174.Emma 4
175. A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse' (I love this book! I made pages of notes on things to read, and there's some really lovely quotes on the importance of good books. It's a book about books, a mystery, a love story. Little bit of a slow start but well worth it.)
176. Emma 5
177. Flight, Vol 4.
178. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (If you liked the Thursday Next novels this will be right up your alley. Mystery novel with carnivals and in-dreaming scenes.)
179. The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace (Quite good. Wasn''t sure where it was going, but I liked it.)
180. Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye (Audiobooked. A fun little adventure with mouse characters. Delightful.)
181. The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World Most Elegant Woman by Karen Karbo (Sort of Coco Chanel biography crossed with a self-help book. Great fun.)
182. 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson. (Excellent world-in-the-wall fantasy without feeling like a Narnia rehash. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.)
183. Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jilliam Lauren (Writing style was so-so but I stuck with it for the content.)
169. Emma 1 by Kaori Mori (Manga in 1800's England. Brainy maid meets gentleman, love & caste conflict.)
170. Emma 2
171. Emma 3
172. Scott Pilgrim's Fines Hour (Vol. 6) by Bryan O'Malley (I'm so done with this series.)
173. Eisenstaedt on Eisenstaedt (Photos & his notes. Amazing.)
174.Emma 4
175. A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse' (I love this book! I made pages of notes on things to read, and there's some really lovely quotes on the importance of good books. It's a book about books, a mystery, a love story. Little bit of a slow start but well worth it.)
176. Emma 5
177. Flight, Vol 4.
178. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (If you liked the Thursday Next novels this will be right up your alley. Mystery novel with carnivals and in-dreaming scenes.)
179. The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace (Quite good. Wasn''t sure where it was going, but I liked it.)
180. Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye (Audiobooked. A fun little adventure with mouse characters. Delightful.)
181. The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World Most Elegant Woman by Karen Karbo (Sort of Coco Chanel biography crossed with a self-help book. Great fun.)
182. 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson. (Excellent world-in-the-wall fantasy without feeling like a Narnia rehash. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.)
183. Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jilliam Lauren (Writing style was so-so but I stuck with it for the content.)
Nov. 2010
157. Space: Japanese Design Solutions of Compact Living by Michael Freeman
158. Possession by A. S. Byatt (re) (Audiobooked. A.S. Byatt is amazing, and the writing styles of the writer characters are excellently crafted, also really great depiction of the Joy of Research.)
159. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (If Harry Potter were written for adults then it would be The Magicians. Excellent, also the mechanism of the magic system were way more likely than in the Potter-verse.)
160. Something Missing: a novel by Mathew Dick (Excellent first novel. Told by a burgler who burgles the same people for years & never gets caught, find out how. Wonderful character building, recommending to anyone who will listen.)
161. Koko Be Good by Jen Wang (Loved the art style, but confused by Koko, but I think I was supposed to be...)
162. Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (Pretty good YA novel with a cute play on inheriting magic & feeling like a sub-par member of your family or community, interesting theory of magic object mechanics. Will likely read the sequel.)
163. A Man Without A Country by Kurt Vonnegut (Read this, it's good for you, but you'll like it too.)
164. Muse & Reverie: A Newford Collection by Charles de Lint. (Three cheers for Newford Collections! No one does fantasy like De Lint.)
165. Avatars, Book One: So This Is How It Ends by Tui T. Sutherland (Started as a great post-apocalyptic teen novel, but the end got silly and by the time it was over I didn't even care that it had a cliff-hanger ending & the library doesn't have the sequel.)
166. Codex: a novel by Lev Grossman (Another exploration of the Joy of Research, also video game & rare books. Pretty much the same main character at The Magicians, but I like him okay so I'm alright with it. I will be watching out for Grossman's books in the future.)
167. How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton (Not an easy read but I do love Proust quotes, also trying for some self-improvement, not sure it worked.)
158. Possession by A. S. Byatt (re) (Audiobooked. A.S. Byatt is amazing, and the writing styles of the writer characters are excellently crafted, also really great depiction of the Joy of Research.)
159. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (If Harry Potter were written for adults then it would be The Magicians. Excellent, also the mechanism of the magic system were way more likely than in the Potter-verse.)
160. Something Missing: a novel by Mathew Dick (Excellent first novel. Told by a burgler who burgles the same people for years & never gets caught, find out how. Wonderful character building, recommending to anyone who will listen.)
161. Koko Be Good by Jen Wang (Loved the art style, but confused by Koko, but I think I was supposed to be...)
162. Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (Pretty good YA novel with a cute play on inheriting magic & feeling like a sub-par member of your family or community, interesting theory of magic object mechanics. Will likely read the sequel.)
163. A Man Without A Country by Kurt Vonnegut (Read this, it's good for you, but you'll like it too.)
164. Muse & Reverie: A Newford Collection by Charles de Lint. (Three cheers for Newford Collections! No one does fantasy like De Lint.)
165. Avatars, Book One: So This Is How It Ends by Tui T. Sutherland (Started as a great post-apocalyptic teen novel, but the end got silly and by the time it was over I didn't even care that it had a cliff-hanger ending & the library doesn't have the sequel.)
166. Codex: a novel by Lev Grossman (Another exploration of the Joy of Research, also video game & rare books. Pretty much the same main character at The Magicians, but I like him okay so I'm alright with it. I will be watching out for Grossman's books in the future.)
167. How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton (Not an easy read but I do love Proust quotes, also trying for some self-improvement, not sure it worked.)
Oct. 2010
140. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (This is a picture book look graphic novel. Very different style graphicly from Three Incestous Sisters and the Adventuress, and not as thematically difficult as the former & Her Fearful Symmetry. This is a the perfect bedtime story for bibliophiles in general, bibliophiles who work in libraries in particular.)
141. The Octonauts & the Only Lonely Monster by Meomi
142. The Octonauts & the Sea of Shade by Meomi
143. The Octonauts & the Great Ghost Reef by Meomi
(Meomi is a delightful art company. I (heart) them, they make me smile.)
144. Four Word Self Help: Simple Wisdom for Complex Lives by Patti Digh (Given more shelf space in my life I would definately want to own this book. Beautiful art & very good for the soul.)
145. You are one-third daffodil and other facts to amaze, amuse, and astound. compiled by Tom Nuttal (This is was delightful, great for a couple days with a short attention-span.)
146. Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 4. by Fumi Yoshinaga (Still loving this series.)
147. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (This was actually quite sweet--but no toothache--& had some great quotable lines. Save yourself from the movie, don't see it before or after, or ever.)
148. The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon & Hoang Nguyen. (I keep thinking I'm done giving Gabaldon chances, but I did really enjoy the first few Outlander books. Really this is Outlander minus any classiness I may have internally-imposed on it.)
149. At Home in Japan: A Foreign Woman's Journey of Discovery by Rebecca Otawa (Because this was the travelogue of someone who wasn't just a traveler but actually transplanted for life. Way more detailed than any similar book about living in Japan, also rural which is a whole other world from city-dewelling or non-modern, most of my previous reading have been one or the other.)
150. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (Who else could sell a story concept of being able to taste the emotions of the person who prepared your food = awesome. See also Willful Creatures: stories.)
151. How They Met And Other Stories by David Levithan (Very sweet, but not a toothache.)
152. You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn (Great YA novel about the effects of a suicide on those left behind, also interesting sidenotes of the politics of Washington D.C. as a stateless state, and I feel for the main character. Well done.)
153. The Character of Rain by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
154. Loving Sabotage by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
155. Japanese Style by Sarah Lonsdale (Little pop culture overview.)
156. The Life of Hunger by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
141. The Octonauts & the Only Lonely Monster by Meomi
142. The Octonauts & the Sea of Shade by Meomi
143. The Octonauts & the Great Ghost Reef by Meomi
(Meomi is a delightful art company. I (heart) them, they make me smile.)
144. Four Word Self Help: Simple Wisdom for Complex Lives by Patti Digh (Given more shelf space in my life I would definately want to own this book. Beautiful art & very good for the soul.)
145. You are one-third daffodil and other facts to amaze, amuse, and astound. compiled by Tom Nuttal (This is was delightful, great for a couple days with a short attention-span.)
146. Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 4. by Fumi Yoshinaga (Still loving this series.)
147. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (This was actually quite sweet--but no toothache--& had some great quotable lines. Save yourself from the movie, don't see it before or after, or ever.)
148. The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon & Hoang Nguyen. (I keep thinking I'm done giving Gabaldon chances, but I did really enjoy the first few Outlander books. Really this is Outlander minus any classiness I may have internally-imposed on it.)
149. At Home in Japan: A Foreign Woman's Journey of Discovery by Rebecca Otawa (Because this was the travelogue of someone who wasn't just a traveler but actually transplanted for life. Way more detailed than any similar book about living in Japan, also rural which is a whole other world from city-dewelling or non-modern, most of my previous reading have been one or the other.)
150. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (Who else could sell a story concept of being able to taste the emotions of the person who prepared your food = awesome. See also Willful Creatures: stories.)
151. How They Met And Other Stories by David Levithan (Very sweet, but not a toothache.)
152. You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn (Great YA novel about the effects of a suicide on those left behind, also interesting sidenotes of the politics of Washington D.C. as a stateless state, and I feel for the main character. Well done.)
153. The Character of Rain by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
154. Loving Sabotage by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
155. Japanese Style by Sarah Lonsdale (Little pop culture overview.)
156. The Life of Hunger by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
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