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March 21
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Joshua
added:
Then We Came to the End (Hardcover)
by Joshua Ferris
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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March 03
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New comment on Pierce's review of
The Fermata
(see all 2 comments)
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February 19
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Joshua
gave
to:
The 25th Hour (Paperback)
by David Benioff
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in February, 2008
Joshua said:
"I really like this movie so figured I should check out the source material -- turns out it's exactly like the movie..? Or, you know, vice versa. But it almost feels like it was written with a movie in mind, what with its shortness and visual descript...more
I really like this movie so figured I should check out the source material -- turns out it's exactly like the movie..? Or, you know, vice versa. But it almost feels like it was written with a movie in mind, what with its shortness and visual descriptions and whatnot. The fact that the author went on to be a screenwriter surprises me not a whit.
Also can I say the author is WAY too handsome to be a writer? It's SICKENING. But it does lend some authenticity to his descriptions of Monty, the protagonist here, who is also very good looking and, unfortunately, too good looking to go to jail and have it be a pleasant experience. (I mean this author is WAY better looking than Ed Norton, who played Monty in the movie.) He's so good looking -- I don't mean to harp on this, but -- that I had DOUBTS that he actually wrote this book. I seriously had thoughts like: This dialogue is too finely tuned, and this point is too intelligently and creatively made, to have come from the mind of THIS MALE MODEL OVER HERE. But these are my issues and not germane to this "review."
Anyway I liked this. It's a quick read, but Sex God does a lot with a little, choosing just the right words and putting them in just the right spots. It's a simple but strong story concept, and -- esp. considering it's his first (and only?) novel -- it's nice that Dimple Chin doesn't feel compelled to be self-indulgent and crank out 800 pages of bloat but instead constructs a nice, modest, tight, smart thing out of it. God DAMMIT....less
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New comment on Kevin Fanning's review of
NYX X-23: Innocence Lost
(see all 2 comments)
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February 11
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Joshua
gave
to:
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (updated edition)
by Anthony Bourdain
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in December, 2007
Joshua said:
"I actually didn't read this but plowed through the 8-disc audio version while driving around. Whatever, dudes. You're going to have to deal with this hard truth. But it was read by the author and unabridged so I think I still get credit, and I didn't...more
I actually didn't read this but plowed through the 8-disc audio version while driving around. Whatever, dudes. You're going to have to deal with this hard truth. But it was read by the author and unabridged so I think I still get credit, and I didn't have to waste precious videogame time parked in front of book. Win-win.
ANYWAY I've been all hot-to-trot about high-end cooking lately, which is weird because I hardly ever cook and I have the same taste I had as a three-year-old, but I guess I'm fascinated by people who are operating at this level of craftsmanship. So this was a nice peek at what goes on these serious kitchens, and you learn some useful practical knowledge like why brunch sucks and why not to order fish on Mondays, etc.
Bourdain presents himself as a no-bullshit, rock 'n' roll badass, and if he didn't temper that with healthy doses of humility and honesty about his failings it would get old fast. But he walks that line and won me over. He chose to close the book with a profile of another chef who is basically the polar opposite of him, and how he's been more successful, which I thought was interesting.
There is a long section that just details an average day in the life of a high-end chef, and it was one of the most fascinating pieces of writing I've read ("read") in a while. The end....less
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February 06
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New comment on Joshua's review of
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
(see all 3 comments)
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Joshua
gave
to:
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life (Hardcover)
by Steve Martin
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in January, 2008
Joshua said:
"I read this in one sitting and thought it was pretty interesting, but considering I am a) obsessed with standup comedy (don't ask) and b) very familiar with Steve Martin's standup from back in the day, I probably should've been more bowled over.
A...more
I read this in one sitting and thought it was pretty interesting, but considering I am a) obsessed with standup comedy (don't ask) and b) very familiar with Steve Martin's standup from back in the day, I probably should've been more bowled over.
Anyway it's a nice peek inside the development of his performances, how he refined his act over the years, with some autobiographical tidbits along the way. Written in his too-refined New Yorker style -- like a lot of his writing these days, you get the impression that he's embarrassed by the old standup days (and his shitty movies) and overcompensates with a loftier style that ends up being sort of cold and airless.
But whatever, it's a brisk read and worth checking out if you're interested in what all goes into a comedy act. But maybe wait for the paperback. I bet an audio version would be good, too, if it exists....less
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February 05
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Joshua
gave
to:
The Corrections (Paperback)
by Jonathan Franzen
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Joshua
gave
to:
Jesus' Son: Stories (Paperback)
by Denis Johnson
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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