Reading, TV….
I finished The Eyre Affair on Sunday, and last night wrapped up The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, which I’m reading for one of my book clubs. Both are highly recommended.
Weekend Update 2004-01-26
I finished sanding the edges of the floor in the living room, and did the full-scale cleanup of sawdust required. I hoped that I’d have enough time to start staining the floors, but that was overly ambitious. The edger sander was really hard to control — I was exhausted when I finished Saturday, and today I have stiff sore muscles all over my body. But the floor looks great. I’m hoping to put a coat of stain on the floor tonight. If I can come up with a strategy for keeping the cats out of the room while it’s drying.
Other than that, I didn’t do much. I’ve been trying to read the Ramayana, but I haven’t got very far. It’s not boring, but it’s very complex with lots of characters, places, geography that all sound somewhat alike, so you have to pay attention or you get lost easily. It’s a book that requires an uninterrupted Saturday, not one that you can pick up for an hour or two and put down again. And lately the only free time I’ve had to read is an hour or two at a time snatched from here and there around the other things I’ve been doing. It’s frustrating, because I miss being able to sit down and get completely mesmerized by a book.
I caught an interesting show on BBC America called “Life Laundry.” It’s a home improvement type show similar to HGTV’s “Clean Sweep” where they tackle helping people with severe clutter problems get organized. What’s better about the BBC show is that they take everything out of the house and put it on the lawn. Then the homeowners go through every scrap of paper, every object, and try to justify why they need to take it back in the house. Everything discarded goes in the “car boot” (garage) sale, or gets donated to charity. Or if it’s just trash, it goes into a giant green mechanical bin called “The Crusher” that smashes everything to bits. Which is fun. I wish I had one.
The interesting part of the show is watching the homeowners going through their stuff — because in almost every episode they nearly have a nervous breakdown at the idea of parting with their things. And the host holds their hand and counsels them on why the object has such importance to them. In most cases, whatever caused the breakdown was an object that had some attachment to an emotional event in their lives; like one woman who had never gotten over her divorce 7 years before. When she finally let go of stuff from her marriage — boy did she have a ball throwing stuff out.
Then when they take back the items that they really need back into the house, the show redoes their interior to make the rooms organized and beautiful. I like this show a lot. It made me mentally go through all my stuff and ask myself why I keep some of the things I do.
Weekend Update 2004-01-06
Over the long New Years weekend, my friend Cate, who was in from Germany, came over and we went to Dan and Doug’s New Years party (photos soon!) along with Kathy and had a good time. Cate and I went to the Catholic supply store downtown and got religious medals (I know, I know, I was just saying below that I’m not a fan of the Catholic church. I still like the saints, though. They never did anything to me.) and went to the 62nd Street antique mall. It was great to see Cate again, and I hope it’s not two years before I see her again. I’m hoping to visit my sister in England, though, and if so, maybe Cate and I can hang out in London.
I went to see House of Sand and Fog with Melissa. Deeply depressing. If you see this, do it on a bright sunny day, not a dark gloomy one like we did.
And I did more painting in my living room. I also read ALOT. I finished Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, and read Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown, the guy who wrote the DaVinci Code.
Middlesex was excellent. Angels and Demons was good, but not off the charts good. If you liked the DaVinci Code, you’ll enjoy this. I had it figured out well before the end, though, and it basically followed the same formula the other: Langdon as hero, girl as intrepid side-kick, a race against time to solve a puzzle, with an anonymous, unknown bad guy who turns out to be someone familiar to you in a wild twist at the end of the book. The appeal for me is the idea of clues to mysteries hidden in plain sight, amongst objects you see every day, with a scavenger hunt like puzzle attached. And I love the idea of secret societies, unusual iconography, etc.
Books I Read in 2003 (34 Titles)
Fiction
American Gods
Author: Neil Gaiman
Between Girlfriends
Author: Elizabeth Dean
Charity Girl
Author: Georgette Heyer
The DaVinci Code
Author: Dan Brown
The Friendly Persuasion
Author: Jessamyn West
Jeeves In the Morning
Author: P.G. Wodehouse
Johnny Tremain
Author: Esther Forbes
Just Like Beauty
Author: Lisa Lerner
Life of Pi: A Novel
Yann Martel; Hardcover
McSweeney’s Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales
Author: Edited by Michael Chabon
Neverwhere
Author: Neil Gaiman
Postern of Fate
Author: Agatha Christie
Revolutionary Girl Utena: To Plant
Author: Chiho Saito, Be-Papas
The Secret Life of Bees
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Summerland
Author: Michael Chabon
Non – Fiction
100 Simple Secrets of Great Relationships
Author: David Niven, Ph.D.
ASPCA’s Complete Guide to Cats
Author: James R. Richards
Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide
Author: Eric A. Meyer
The Complete Guide to Personal and Home Safety
Author: Captain Robert L. Snow
Dear Friends: American Portraits of Men Together, 1840-1918
Author: David Dietcher
Designing with Web Standards
Author: Jeffrey Zeldman
The Dollhouse Murders: A Forensic Expert Investigates 6 Little Crimes
Author: Thomas Mauriello
Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution
Author: Dr. Atkins
Ghosts In The Bedroom: A Guide for Partners of Incest Survivors
Author: Ken Graber
The Great Big Book of Tomorrow
Author: tom tomorrow
Indiana Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities, and Other Offbeat Stuff
by Dick Wolfsie
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look At The Right
Author: Al Franken
Living History
Author: Hillary Clinton
Living Rooms
Author: Diane Dorrans Saeks
Outgrowing the Pain: A Book For and About Adults Abused As Children
Author: Eliana Gil
Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper Case Closed
Author: Patricia Cornwell
Slayer Slang: A Buffy The Vampire Slayer Lexicon
Author: Michael Adams, Jane Espenson
They Went Whistling: Women Wayfarers, Warriors, Runaways, and Renegades
Author: Barbara Holland
What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News
Author: Eric Alterman
Narnia Movie
They’re doing a film version of the Chronicles of Narnia.
That’s so cool. I loved these books when I was a kid, and I bought the boxed set a few years back and re-read them. The film version is being done by Peter Jackson, the producer of the Lord of the Rings, and will use some of the same production and design people, which is so fitting, because Narnia’s creator, C. S. Lewis was a lifelong friend of J. R. R. Tolkien.
2022-03-13 Update:
I saw this movie later and wasn’t especially impressed by it. It seemed to hit hard on the Christian themes, which ruined it for me.
I saw this movie later and wasn’t especially impressed by it. It seemed to hit hard on the Christian themes, which ruined it for me.
Dude, Where’s My Country?
Quote from Amazon.com:
His book is intended to serve as a handbook for how people with liberal opinions (which is most of America, Moore contends, whether they call themselves “liberals” or not) can take back their country from the conservative forces in power. Moore uses his trademark brand of confrontational, exasperated humor skillfully as he offers a primer on how to change the worldview of one’s annoying conservative blowhard brother-in-law, and he crafts a surprisingly thorough “Draft Oprah for President” movement.
Tipping the Velvet
If you haven’t read the book, you should. It’s delicious. But short of that, catch the three-part mini-series on BBCAmerica, starting Friday, May 23rd at 10 p.m. I’m buying a new video tape just for the occasion. I have the DVD now.
“A lavish tale of life and lesbian love in 19th-century London. Nan Astley (Rachael Stirling) falls in love with captivating performer, Kitty Butler (Keeley Hawes). They move to London and begin a romance, but Kitty has a terrible secret.”
Books I’ve Read in 2002 (48 Titles)
Fiction
The Amber Spyglass: His Dark Materials, Book 3
Author: Philip Pullman
And Then There Were None
Author: Agatha Christie
Another classic detective novel. I read the entire Agatha Christie murder genre when I was a kid, and I happened to find one of my old paperbacks at my mom’s house, so I picked it up again. This is one of my favorites, because it was one that truly stumped me when I first read it.
The Ape That Guards the Balance: An Amelia Peabody Mystery
Author: Elizabeth Peters
Artemis Fowl
Author: Eoin Colfer
A children’s book along the lines of Harry Potter. Artemis is the main character and a bad guy to boot, which is makes for a bit of cognitive dissonance while you cheer for the real heroes, the fairies, whom Artemis is trying to cheat out of a lot of gold.
Auntie Mame
Author: Patrick Dennis
A Beau Brummel Mystery: Death on a Silver Tray
Author: Rosemary Stevens
The first of a new mystery series starring Beau Brummel, the famous arbiter of fashion during one of my favorite historical periods, The Regency, in England. It wasn’t a great novel, but they score points for a cute idea… the notoriously frivolous Brummel is secretly an intelligent crime solver in this series.
A Beau Brummel Mystery: The Tainted Snuff Box
Author: Rosemary Stevens
The second book in the Beau Brummel mystery series. If you want a completely non-stressful waste of time, this series is great.
The Body in The Library
Author: Agatha Christie
The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery
Author: Graeme Base
The kids picture book with mystery puzzles embedded in the artwork.
Ex Libris
Author: Ross King
The Falcon at the Portal
Author: Elizabeth Peters
Fingersmith
Author: Sarah Waters
The French Lieutenant’s Woman
Author: John Fowles
The Gilded Chain: A Story of the King’s Blades
Author: Dave Duncan
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor
Author: Stephanie Barron
Jane and the Man of the Cloth
Author: Stephanie Barron
Jane and the Wandering Eye
Author: Stephanie Barron
Kiss the Girls and Make Them Spy
Author: Mabel Maney
Lady of Quality
Author: Georgette Heyer
Heyer is one of my favorite authors, I managed to win this copy of one of her many out of print Regency books from eBay. It is, of course, a romance novel set it Regency England, but unlike most romances, and like all Heyer novels, it stands out as an excellent piece of characterization and farce.
Lemony Snickett: The Unauthorized Autobiography
Author: Lemony Snickett
The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
Lord of the Fire Lands: A Story of the King’s Blades
Author: Dave Duncan
Murder At The Chess Board
Author: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Pride and Promiscuity
Author: Arielle Eckstutt, Dennis Ashton
Sky of Swords: A Story of the King’s Blades
Author: Dave Duncan
Storm of Swords: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3
Author: George R. R. Martin
Three Weeks
Author: Elinor Glyn
Whose Body?
Author: Dorothy L. Sayers
Classic Lord Peter Wimsey detection story from a classic mystery author.
Wizards First Rule
Author: Terry Goodkind
Non – Fiction
All About Plumbing Basics
Author: Ortho
Dick Wolfsie’s New Book (Longer, Funnier, Cheaper)
Author: Dick Wolfsie
The Drag King Book
Author: Del Lagrace Volcano, Judith "Jack" Halberstam
Fast Food Nation
Author: Eric Schlosser
Fun Along the Road: American Tourist Attractions
Author: John Margolies
Gardening for Pleasure
Author: Barron’s Publishing
The Good Citizen’s Handbook: A Guide to Proper Behavior
Author: Jennifer McKnight-Trontz
Compiled from real guidebooks on good citizenship from the 1920s-1960s, including information on the importance of a meat diet and why it’s never right to poison the neighbors’d dog, this handbook is hysterically funny in a completely straight-faced way.
The Good, The Bad, and the Difference
Author: Randy Cohen
Indianapolis: A Pictoral History
Author: Edward Leary
I bought this book from eBay; a nice picture book of early Indianapolis. It’s out of print.
Inside the West Wing
Author: Paul Challen
Man Flies: The Story of Alberto Santos-Dumont
Author: Nancy Winters
Me Talk Pretty One Day
Author: David Sedaris
MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice For The New Media Designer
Author: Hillman Curtis
Puppies
Author: Forbush
Seventy Great Mysteries of the Ancient World
Editor: Brian M. Fagan
The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family
Author: Matt Groening
Stupid White Men
Author: Michael Moore
You Are Being Lied To
Author: Russ Kick, Editor. Disinformation.com
A collection of articles on political and social issues, examining cultural myth and disinformation from the government, big businesses, and religion.
Books I Read in 2001 (58 Titles)
Fiction
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Author: Michael Chabon
The Bad Beginning [A Series of Unfortunate Events]
Author: Lemony Snicket
The Beebo Brinker Chronicles – Odd Girl Out
Author: Ann Bannon
The Beebo Brinker Chronicles – I Am A Woman
Author: Ann Bannon
The Beebo Brinker Chronicles – Women In The Shadows
Author: Ann Bannon
The Beebo Brinker Chronicles – Journey To A Woman
Author: Ann Bannon
The Beebo Brinker Chronicles – Beebo Brinker
Author: Ann Bannon
Bertie Wooster Sees It Through
Author: P.G. Wodehouse
Bertie Wooster: Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves
Author: P.G. Wodehouse
The Big Joke Game
Author: Scott Corbett
Bridges of Madison County
Author: James Waller
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Author: Helen Fielding
The Catcher in The Rye
Author: J. D Salinger
Chang & Eng
Author: Darin Strauss
The Cheese Monkeys
Author: Chip Kidd
The Dark Secret of Weatherend
Author: John Bellairs
The Deed of Paksennarion
Author: Elizabeth Moon
The Dress Lodger
Author: Sheri Holman
Fantastic Beasts & Where to find Them
Author: Newt Scamander
The Girl in Hyacinth Blue
Author: Susan Vreeland
The Great Brain
Author: John D. Fitzgerald
Hanuman
Author: based on Valmiki’s Ramayana
Lord of Emperors
Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
The Lamp from the Warlock’s Tomb
Author: John Bellairs
More Adventures of the Great Brain
Author: John D. Fitzgerald
Move To Strike
Author: Peter O’ Shaughnessy
O Jerusalem
Author: Laurie R. King
Portnoy’s Complaint
Author: Phillip Roth
Quidditch Through the Ages
Author: Kennilworth Whisp
The Song of the Lioness Quartet – Alanna: The First Adventure
(The Song of the Lioness Quartet, Book 1)
Author: Tamora Pierce
The Song of the Lioness Quartet – In the Hand of the Goddess
(The Song of the Lioness Quartet, Book 2)
Author: Tamora Pierce
The Song of the Lioness Quartet – The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
(The Song of the Lioness Quartet, Book 3)
Tamora Pierce
The Song of the Lioness Quartet – Lioness Rampant
Tamora Pierce
A Song of Ice and Fire – Game of Thrones
Author: George R. R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire – Clash of Kings
Author: George R. R. Martin
His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife
Author: Phillip Pullman
The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn
Author: John Bellairs
The Unexpected Guest
Author: Agatha Christie
A Vaudeville of Devils
Author: Robert Gerardis
The Watcher’s Guide Volume 2: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series
Author: Nancy Holder, Jeff Mariotte, Maryelizabeth Hart
Wheel of Time Series – The Shadow Rising [book 4]
Author: Robert Jordan
Wheel of Time Series – Fires of Heaven [book 5]
Author: Robert Jordan
Wheel of Time Series – Lord of Chaos [book 6]
Author: Robert Jordan
Wheel of Time Series – A Crown of Swords [book 7]
Author: Robert Jordan
Wheel of Time Series – Path of Daggers [book 8]
Author: Robert Jordan
Wheel of Time Series – Winters Heart [book 9]
Author: Robert Jordan
The Wind Done Gone
Author: Alice Randall
Wonder Boys
Author: Michael Chabon
Non – Fiction
The 2548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said
Author: Robert Byrne
Big Fun With Billy
Author: Dianora Niccolini
Coercion: Why We Listen to What "They" Say
Author: Douglas Rushkoff
Complete Idiots Guide to Shakespeare
Author: Laurie Rozakis, Ph. D
Erotica Universalis
Author: Gilles Neret
The Harlot By The Side of The Road
Author: Jonathan Kish
Mind Benders: Adventures in Lateral Thinking
Author: David J. Bodycombe
The Mysterious Case of Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys
Author: Carole Kismaric & Marvin Heiferman
Napalm and Silly Putty
Author: George Carlin
The New Roadside America
Author: Kirby, Smith Wilson
The Okinawa Program
Author: Robert Gerardis
The Quest of The Holy Grail
Author: ?? Medieval Epic
The Truth Is…
Author: Melissa Etheridge
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Dating & Sex
Author: Joshua Piven, et al.
new house
Picked up the keys to my new house today. Went in, figured out how the security alarm works (No, I ain’t gonna tell *you*) and generally wandered around looking in the fridge, oven and closets. Then I decided to look in the cellar and see what was down there. So I hoisted up the door (is in the floor) and peered downstairs… I had failed to notice that the light switch was upstairs, so I was trying to find the light switch in the dark, and dropped the 50 lb+ door, which fell directly on the top of my head, knocking me into a sitting position on the stairs. I immediately said to myself “don’t pass out. don’t pass out.” and eventually I shook it off and climbed back upstairs, found the switch, and then went down and looked around. Pretty bad when you injure yourself on the first day in your new place.
It’s a dirt-floor basement, so there’s not much I can do down there, but I’ll at least I’ll be able to store Christmas and seasonal stuff.
I’m reading “Coercion: why we believe what ‘they’ say” and getting really pissed off at how marketing and advertising manipulates me.