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[19 Aug 2008|10:23pm] quiet_thrills [gracefulwing] This cover of Metro Station's "Kelsey" by my friend Sophie. post comment

Review - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao; Junot Diaz [19 Aug 2008|09:40am] booktards [bloody_keri] This story of a 300-lb, D&D loving, fantasy-adventure writing, Dominican nerdboy is funny, tragic, pitiful and sweet all at the same time.  Told through the voices of those who know him best, it is a wonderfully fleshed-out account of a young man’s life viewed from the many different angles and points that give us all our form, and never is it clearer than when driving home the point that no one of us is an island, and that no matter how we fight it, we are to some extent – more than most of us would probably like - products of our heritage, our upbringing, and the actions and words of those who love us - and, just as significantly or perhaps even more so, those who don’t.    This book is all straight talk – nothing flowery here.  At times vulgar and crass, even a little shocking, it might make your eyes widen a few times, but at least it’s with feeling. I particularly enjoyed the viewpoint given by Lola, Oscar’s sister, as she rages with her dying mother, who is no less a controlling tyrant even when facing death.  If I were to express one wish to Mr. Diaz, it would be to write a companion novel just about Lola.    I don’t think I’ve ever before read a novel where the subject matter varies so widely and vividly, from Oscar’s obsession with the fantasy genre to the brutal reign of Rafael Trujillo, the former president of the Dominican Republic. You might wonder how on earth these two subjects could meet in one book, but they do, and in a way that makes you see how inseparable they really are. The past figures so prevalently in the present – and the future, one presumes – that it can’t be ignored or glossed over.    Many, like me, have puzzled over the name.  Oscar Wao?  Is he Asian?  I thought he was Dominican?  Does he have an Asian father?  Well, that question too is answered about halfway through, and like every other circumstance surrounding Oscar’s life, it’s both funny and a little sad, and not even close to what you probably think it is!   A good and thought-provoking read, in my opinion. Oscar is a character sure to stay with you for awhile.  (x-posted)     post comment

[19 Aug 2008|10:26am] peacecorpsfolks [watcher_flow] Hi all, I'm a rising senior and thinking about my post grad plans. I've worked at a publishing company for the past 2 years, and there's a likelihood that they'll make an offer to me when I graduate. However, I want to explore my options. The peace corps application asks for a recommendation from a current employer, and I'm nervous about asking my employer because I don't want it to discourage them from making me an offer if my peace corps hopes and dreams don't work out haha. Have any of you been in this situation? advice/recommendations? 1 comment|post comment

The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Pettersson (2007) [19 Aug 2008|02:23pm] booktards [thisplacehere] In every major city, there are twelve people in each generation who form the Light troop of the Zodiac, individuals with extraordinary abilities of strength, healing and so forth, whose mission is to battle their Shadow counterparts, maintaining peace and balance. Casino heiress Joanna Archer discovers she is the First Sign of the Zodiac troop of Las Vegas, destined to lead them to victory over the Shadows -- and that her real father is the supernatural entity who leads Vegas's Shadow troop... I may not have implied it very well in that synopsis, but this is actually pretty good -- better than many a book of its genre that I've previously encountered. This is mainly down to unexpected twists in plot and character that set things up nicely for the ongoing series. I wouldn't quite list it as a must-read (the second half lets the book down a bit), but it's worth a look if it sounds interesting to you. post comment

[18 Aug 2008|11:19pm] quiet_thrills [rain_and_rivers] all the beautifully thought out graffiti & tags i have seen this year, including: kids like us will be alone forever (so sad, but i know what they mean) cheers! to bad ideas! and summer of resistance (uplifting) party on, garth (hella funny) post comment

Book #57 - The Enchantress of Florence [17 Aug 2008|07:42pm] booktards [miyyu] It's not often that I manage to read the perfect book at the perfect time in my life. The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie is therefore a rare book on two levels. It's hard to describe this book without failing to do it justice and giving too much away. The Enchantress of Florence is a rich tapestry of a novel, tightly woven and gorgeous to behold. It's poetic in style with layers of mythos and mysticism punctuated by perfectly timed shots of reality. The Enchantress of Florence is two intertwined stories. In the beginning, a man with yellow hair, a 15th century Florentine, comes to Moghul India by both fair means and foul. He says he has a secret to tell, a secret for the emperor's ears only, a secret which will either make his fortune or cause his death. He's betting on the former. As the man tells the secret story, which in a way is his story, to the emperor, we experience life in two parallel cultures unaware of one another. Reality and truth become blurred, and sometimes it's truly up to the reader to decide what "really happens," and, more importantly, if it even matters. In the course of both tales, the reader is taken on a ride through philosophy, religion, debauchery, history, legend, and others which defy easy classification. I had to read it slowly rather than devour it, because I often wanted to stop and mull over what I had just read. Read this book. It is a thought provoking, beautiful work of art. 3 comments|post comment

biking [17 Aug 2008|08:49am] quiet_thrills [bohemianvegan] Yesterday I went biking on a river trail in my town in Connecticut. I saw a beaver near a stump. I stayed on my bike and watched him for a while. We had a staring match for a while. I then went closer and it crouched down. I thought I would let it be and left. When I came back later it was gone and I looked at the stump and figured that it had a home there. I later watched a blue heron. It was on the top of a waterfall, then swooped down. I watched it for a bit and it flew on the top of the waterfall again. It had a big wingspan. post comment

[17 Aug 2008|05:02am] quiet_thrills [weatherterms] Watching an episode of Law and Order from 1991 post comment

[16 Aug 2008|10:03pm] quiet_thrills [lonely_highway] [ music | "Confessions of a Go-Go Girl" ] I found this neat thing about using body mods to make "tattoos" for the blind by inserting ball bearings under the skin. I never thought such a thing was beautiful until I saw it. Lifetime movies. The way Ruby perks up in the car seat when she sees me walking towards her. It's like she's saying, "oh, you came back!" 1 comment|post comment

Book #27 [16 Aug 2008|09:59pm] booktards [gothayesd51708] Book #27 Book Title: Breaking Dawn Author: Stephenie Meyer Category: fiction; romance # of pages: 768 My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: C Short description/summary of the book: (taken from amazon.com):It might seem redundant to dismiss the fourth and final Twilight novel as escapist fantasy--but how else could anyone look at a romance about an ordinary, even clumsy teenager torn between a vampire and a werewolf, both of whom are willing to sacrifice their happiness for hers? Flaws and all, however, Meyer's first three novels touched on something powerful in their weird refraction of our culture's paradoxical messages about sex and sexuality. The conclusion is much thinner, despite its interminable length. Everygirl Bella achieves her wishes quickly (marriage and sex, in that order, are two, and becoming an immortal is another), and once she becomes a vampire it's almost impossible to identify with her. But that's not the main problem. Essentially, everyone gets everything they want, even if their desires necessitate an about-face in characterization or the messy introduction of some back story. Nobody has to renounce anything or suffer more than temporarily--in other words, grandeur is out. This isn't about happy endings; it's about gratification. A sign of the times? My Thoughts: As much as I liked this series before, this book was a huge disappointment. The beginning of the book had potential but it went downhill fast. Bella was not the same Bella we saw in the previous books. I thought by the end of the book it would be better, however it really wasn't. Books read this year: 27/50. I'm 54% done!!! Next read(s): I just started Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton. 4 comments|post comment

[16 Aug 2008|09:25pm] quiet_thrills [destroyed_radio] You know the videos with Kelly in them like Shoes, Let Me Borrow that Top, No Booty Calls, Text Message Breakup...? This [rather good looking :3] guy came into my work today and was wearing a shirt that said "betch" and we talked about said videos for like ten minutes. Amazing. :) edit: My gerbil going so fast on his wheel that he flips upside down. :D post comment

40ish [16 Aug 2008|06:25pm] booktards [manada698] [ mood | blah ] [ music | Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Daniel ] 45) Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich - Another Stephanie Plum mystery. They really aren't mysteries anymore, are they? Do people read them to laugh or to unravel a brilliant plot? Yep. Thought so. Still this was a little more entertaining than the most recent Plum books. (my review) 46) Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - Why didn't I read this as a child?  I think my childhood would have been dramatically different had I known about Anne and her adventures. This was another Librivox recording. God bless Librivox volunteers! (my review) 47) Blind Spot by Terri Persons - Pretty decent mystery with a supernatural (maybe) twist. (my review) 8 comments|post comment

[16 Aug 2008|02:45pm] quiet_thrills [luliepants] ending your shower with a cool rinse on a hot summer day. post comment

[16 Aug 2008|02:53pm] quiet_thrills [inner_ch1ld] [ mood | mellow ]  Clowns. Make-up. Fairy tales. Crossdressing. Silence. Sleeping. post comment

[16 Aug 2008|02:07am] booktards [theyellownebula] Does anyone know where I can find out about differences in publications in different countries? I want to get a Bridget Jones book from America since they still sell it in hardcover but I'd hate it if some of the britishisms were changed like in the Harry Potter books. Thanks :) 2 comments|post comment

[15 Aug 2008|07:28pm] quiet_thrills [lonely_highway] Hardcore band A Day to Remember's poppy cover of "Since U Been Gone" Heavily tattooed daddies with small children The boy saying "After we move, we need to start saving money...to move to Canada." 3 comments|post comment

[15 Aug 2008|04:28pm] quiet_thrills [_cynical_beauty] +asking my crush what his plans are tonight and having him reply: "maybe you should tell me." +spending the night at my best friend's house and having his roommate wake me up on the couch at 8am only to ask if I wanted to try and best him at Halo 3. +seeing my parents this weekend. post comment

Cone Zero: Nemonymous Eight (2008) [15 Aug 2008|08:40pm] booktards [thisplacehere] The latest instalment of Des Lewis's 'megazanthus' (magazine/anthology) Nemonymous, which prints its stories without author credits (instead, they'll be given in the next volume) -- though the writers are listed on the back cover. The anonymity didn't actually make much difference to me, because only one writer's work was familiar to me -- John Grant ( realthog), and I think I've guessed which story is his -- and it doesn't really matter anyway, because Cone Zero is an excellent selection of stories. There are sentient domestic appliances on the run from humans; strange artworks, one depicting an orphan's mother and a large metal cone, the other incorporating a cone whose dimensions are zero (most of the stories reference the book's title in some way); mysterious houses, even entire worlds that aren't what they seem to be. With only a few missteps, I'm as sure as I can be that this will be one of the best anthologies of the year.   post comment

[15 Aug 2008|10:56am] quiet_thrills [sonacry] Going in to work at 9 am, and being told that you weren't on the schedule at all, so you have to go home. Watching old episodes of So You Think You Can Dance (Nerd ahoy:) Having your Brain Age result at the lowest it's been since you got the game a month ago. 1 comment|post comment

Book #47: The Science of Superheroes [14 Aug 2008|09:57pm] booktards [orbadviser] This is the third time I've listened to this book, and I've enjoyed it every time. What it is is a consideration of the viability of various superheroes. So when Gresh and Weinberg consider whether or not Superman can have come from Krypton, they discuss SETI and the likelihood of life on other planets; when they consider the Hulk, they re-envision the origin story so there is a possibility to such a creature to be created - and it has to do with steroids, not gamma rays. My favorite part of the book this time through dealt with Aquaman and the Sub-Mariner. Did you know the only naked mammals live either underground (pigs and elephants that wallow in the mud) or in the water (whales, dolphins)...except one: Man. Some theorize that man may have his roots in the sea more than on the plains. My least favorite part of the book this time is the authors' derision of Creationism. I understand this is a scientific and secular book, but the section where he begins criticizing those who believe in Creationism was tiring, distracting, and somewhat offensive. If you like superheroes, this is a pretty decent read. Give it a shot :) X-posted to my journal... post comment

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