Justin Pyfrom's Blog, page 28

He’s One of The Few Hip-Hop Artist I Listen To…

Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem by Anthony Bozza

(Disclaimer: this will be a short review!)

Hip Hop is a genre of music that I’m not a heavy listener of. It’s not that I hate. Far from it, actually. I just can’t relate to most of the artist of the genre and the message they’re trying to convey. Now, Eminem is one of the few hip hop artists I can proudly listen to. I mean…I do without the cussing but, you know, semantics. This was actually I was so excited to get started on his biography.

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, film producer, and actor. But, before all of that, he was just a white kid trying to fit in. This part got me the most but it made sense: Eminem used to be bullied…ALOT. Terrible but made sense given the environment and his interest. Think about it! A white kid going into a realm of music that predominately black…yeah, I thought so. But, that wasn’t the only thing that was talked about. His startup and career path was also shined upon.

Anthony Bozza was one of the few people Eminem trusted to write about him and had no problem talking to him about his life and path. He opened up about coming up with his “Slim Shady” persona, turmoils with his family and how he met Dr. Dre for the first time. The rapper even opened up on how he interacts with his fans – both men and women alike. It was interesting how he shifted his demeanor between the two genders without changing his personality too much.

I think I might read more biographies on some of my favorite musicians to get a better insight into their choices and paths. Yeah, this is going to be an A from me.

Asgard, The Real Asgard

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

So, the number one rule in writing for an RPG game is that research is almost always a necessity. Hell, that’s a pretty big rule in writing, anyway. But, in the realm of game writing, you can’t write a story AND create a world for that story without drawing inspiration. And, since most inspiration comes from lore…you can see where this is going, right? So, I started with Norse Mythology.

Neil Gaiman, the author of American Gods, narrated this audiobook to talk about the twelve infamous tales of Norse mythology. I did this because James, my best mate, who is of Irish-Viking lineage, wanted me to educate myself on this so I can add some of it to the world lore. Besides, I do love mythology so that was a plus for me, anyway.

I didn’t take me long to finish the stories and I have to say that it was unbelievably amazing. Until this point, I got pretty familiar with Greek and Celtic mythology (the latter of which I will talk about in a later date) and liked them. But the Norse myths, I got to laugh and awe so much in one sitting. And one story got my attention more than most: the forging of Asgardian weapons.

Basically, Loki, in all his trickery and foul play, helps create the infamous hammer, Mjölnir, by trying to sabotage everybody around him. Along with that, he ended up seeing the creation of Gungnir, the deadliest spear, and Skidbladnir, the best of all ships. Plus, the events leading up to these marvelous gifts (Loki cutting off Sif’s hair) and the events that followed (Loki’s mouth was sewn shut) was even funnier.

Loki has been a dreadful villain throughout this whole array of mythos and it was quite delightful to read about his come-uppings. I mean…too bad that he started Ragnarok out of spite but forgot about the rebirth that all the gods will go through. Yeah, this book was such a marvel to read. Obviously, an A+ for sure.

 

Childhood Revisited

Who in the World is Carmen Sandiego by Rebecca Tinker

You have no idea how excited I was when I heard that they were creating a Netflix series starring the most famous fictional art thief. In the 1990s, I was only about to learn geography by playing this game due to my ADHD. Right! So, I tend to focus and learn things a lot easier when I’m hands-on and turning it into a game. Even still, I got the privilege of reading this Audible Original that came out around the same time as the series.

This Audible Original served as an origin story for the titular character. First time for it all, too. See, when I was younger, games and tv shows revolving around the thief didn’t have to create a backstory because, frankly, we didn’t care. I mean…why create a backstory for a game show when it’s the main focus on testing the kids on their geography knowledge? Exactly, it makes no sense. But now…its time for an origin story and, boy, they didn’t disappoint.

As the beginning goes, Carmen was without a real name or any form of identity. Just a nickname and a desire to be apart of V.I.L.E. and all of its glory. But, of course, she’s a lot more than what she bargained for, especially after making many friends and enemies. Strike that! Let me rephrase that: One real friend and a host of enemies. Well? A host of friends turned enemies after the truth has been revealed to her. And how was the truth revealed?

Ever heard the saying “Ignorance is bliss”? Yeah, if Carmen was so nosy and headstrong, she wouldn’t have found out what V.I.L.E. was truly about and witness her thief friends kill someone in cold blood. Safe to say that they are no longer friends. Good call, really. But bad for being the most wanted traitor among people of the same training as you. Still, the story explained a lot about Carmen’s personality, demeanor, and outlook in the Netflix series.

I don’t want to give out too much information as it does tie into series. This Audible Original gets an A+ for originality, storytelling, and character development.

Good Ol’ Country Loving

Country Boys by Peter Styles

Cowboys is a bit cliche for me in the romance genre but it was recommended to me. Yeah, I still have a decent amount of research left to do so I’m still getting recommendations. This one is the most grounded and homey romance story I’ve ever read. You would think that would make it boring but you would be wrong.

Country Boys is a love story between Kyle and Allen Hale Jr. after the former returned home in need of a job and housing. It also didn’t help that his mother passed away and his sister dropped all communications. So, the only job Kyle could get was a ranch hand for a family he used to babysit for. Needless to say, Allen Jr. may be happy to see him but Allen Sr. sure as hell as it.

There was nothing but animosity between Kyle and Allen Sr. Nothing good enough for that man and, between his old age and tired bones, his patience was all but nonexistent at this point. Because of this, Allen Jr. was forced to play mediator while trying to romance his high school crush. Yeah, like I said, a lot more grounded than any of the other romance novels I read at this point.

I’m not going to explain the jumps and hurdles the couple had to go through since that falls into the category of spoilers. But, I will say this: “The father may be old but he’s not stupid.” Oh yeah, he knew about his son’s sexuality the entire time and said nothing. Kinda reminded me of my grandma when I came out to her. “Oh, please, I already had a feeling, ” she said. Oh, even better, his sister finally talks to him with some good news of her own.

All and all, the book was beautifully written and paced so ill give it a B+.

A Very Intricate Dream

Einstein’s Dream by Alan Lightman

Being a nerd can be a little difficult in my sales job which why I’m thankful for my boss. My boss is just as big of a nerd as I am. Nooo, he’s the bigger one because he was the one who put this book in front of me. We love about the various field of nerdism and he suggested that I give this book a read. His reason was pretty simple: “It’s sci-fi, Justin. Right up your alley.”

Einstein’s Dream is described as a “fictional collage of stories dreamed by Albert Einstein in 1905 when he worked in a patent office in Switzerland.” With his genius-level intellect and imagination, he created the theory of relativity and this imagines many possible worlds. A mouthful, right? Well, let me put this way. He thought up the concept of “The Multiverse”. You know, the setting that used in almost every comic you’ve ever read.

Yeah, Einstein thought up various worlds – or verse – which time moved in different forms and fashion. The book was 144 pages long but each chapter describes a different world which was both fascinating and thought-provoking. My personal favorite was the one that has the most unstable time flow. One step compels you into the past while another step can thrust you forward. Another one has its inhabitants moving with importance since time is moving at a much MUCH faster rate. Some are cool, some are hard to process and some are just cruel.

But I don’t want to tell them all. Give it a whirl, this book gets an A from me.

The Mind Behind A Feminist Icon

Wonder Woman Psychology by Travis Langley

I’m not an avid Woman Wonder reader. Actually, come to think about it, I’m not an avid comic reader as a whole. So, why am I reading this installment of Dr. Travis Langley’s Popular Culture Psychology series if I’ve never read any of her comics. Simple answer? I’m a feminist and she, along with her creator, William Moulton Marston, were some of the earliest inspiration for feminism so I was instantly drawn to it. So, let’s see what this Amazonian brought to the table for women.

Now, knowing Dr. Travis Langley, feminism may be the central theme but that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing that he’s going to talk. With the help of his colleagues, they explored the field of mother-daughter relationship, upbringing, alienation and isolation among new surroundings, gender norms (really big one) and many many more. I found gender norms to be interesting because it’s what we always predisposed to and it always dictate what how we shape ourselves – whether its to empower or debilitate.

To further the discussion on the psychology of the titular hero, they explore the mindset of her creator, William Moulton Marston, and his path on creating the first lie detector test. Funny enough, after reading that article, it clicked when wondering where he got the idea revolving around her Lasso of Truth. It’s also worth mentioning that Marston was an “outspoken feminist, swinger, S&M practitioner, and firm believer in the superiority of women” which provided, well, all of the inspiration and theme in the comic series. Because of this, he went through a lot of hell to get this hero in our hearts and mind. Can you say “misogyny” and “homophobia”? I mean…it was the 1940s.

One article caught me off guard…martial arts. Yeah, an Amazonian known to be the best melee fighter of all of DC, of course, they are going to talk about martial arts to come degree. It was nice for someone to take a deep dive into my realm in an attempt to understand all the styles an Amazonian warrior are incorporating in their fighting. One of my favorites, for sure.

Again, when you get the chance, get this book and his many others. I did a review about another one of his books last year as well as two more for this year. Right now, he’s at ten books with two more planned for release (Yes, the books are out of order – don’t judge me):

Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight
The Walking Dead Psychology: Psych of the Living Dead
Star Wars Psychology: Dark Side of the Mind
Game of Thrones Psychology: The Mind is Dark and Full of Terrors
Wonder Woman Psychology: Lassoing the Truth
Doctor Who Psychology: A Madman with a Box
Supernatural Psychology: Roads Less Traveled
Star Trek Psychology: The Mental Frontier
Daredevil Psychology: The Devil You Know
Westworld Psychology: Violent Delights
Black Panther Psychology: Hidden Kingdoms

Yep, this book gets an A+ from me.

Wayward Member of The Family

Supernatural Psychology by Travis Langley

I was one of the many MANY people who watched the series premiere of Supernatural. Drawing on the theme of familial bonds and, more specifically, brotherly bond, this show displayed to the audience how far love and devotion can take someone in this fucked up world of theirs. And let’s not forget the most devoted but, honestly, dysfunctional pair of siblings you will ever see in a good spell. Now, on its fourteenth season, it was only a matter of time before my favorite pop psychologist does a deep dive into this popular show.

If you followed my suggestion and start reading the series, you will see that it follows a particular formula. With Dr. Travis Langley, he never takes the simple route in his psychological discussions. Instead, this brilliant genius has a great habit of thinking outside the box to tackle other topics adjacent to the central theme.

For this installment, Langley and many MANY of his colleagues decided to write pieces around the dynamic of a family (central theme), PSTD, stages of grief, the parent-child relationship among so many other things. If you look deeper into the psychology of family, you will, then, articles regarding how one brother’s psyche differs from the other’s in various field such as emotional stability, thought process, their way of handling trauma, outlook on life among other things. Yeah, it can great really dark at times but it is a dark series so…

However, the forward, which was written by Jonathan Maberry, showcased a really dark part of his past. I really like how he opened up about having an abusive father and took up martial arts to take him down. This was something I can completely relate to as I had to stand up to my demons as I got older. Granted I took a nonviolent method but not everybody is as lucky. Personally, I’m happy for the bloke.

Again, when you get the chance, get this book and his many others. I did a review about another one of his books last year as well as one for this year. Right now, he’s at ten books with two more planned for release (Yes, the books are out of order – don’t judge me):

Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight
The Walking Dead Psychology: Psych of the Living Dead
Star Wars Psychology: Dark Side of the Mind
Game of Thrones Psychology: The Mind is Dark and Full of Terrors
Wonder Woman Psychology: Lassoing the Truth
Doctor Who Psychology: A Madman with a Box
Star Trek Psychology: The Mental Frontier
Daredevil Psychology: The Devil You Know
Westworld Psychology: Violent Delights
Black Panther Psychology: Hidden Kingdoms

Yep, this book gets an A+ from me.

Magic and Sex Isn’t That Odd Combination

Escape Artist by Romeo Alexander

Romeo Alexander is quite the gifted romance writer. He has a certain flair in the genre that I respect and can really make some interesting characters. If you don’t believe me, read my review on The Lucky Charm here. However, this time around, he decided to take a more…theatrical storyline to the same setting. Trust me…it’s really good.

This time around, the story involved murder and Rico, a homicide detective, working the case. It’s also worth mentioning that he’s also suffering from survivor’s guilt. So, you could imagine that he’s looking to start fresh. Now, he’s in for a world of magic thanks to Jett Richards.

Jett Richards is a magician and the main suspect to a murder that has his reputation on the line. This led him to Rico and offering his services in the investigation. Some would think that would be a bad idea in hindsight. But some of the best fun can be had off of a bad idea.

For example, Jett managed to make Rico smile on numerous occasions. No small feat given the detective’s stoic nature but, you know, survivor’s guilt and what not. He even managed to work his way in the detective’s pants twice and get the best fuck of his life.

All and all, the story ended on a high note after the murder was solved and the two decided to become a couple. This book is being scored a B+ because of its brilliant pacing and characters. The plot could have been resolved much less cheaply.

Oh, fun fact, the model who posed for both of the novels in this series is Daniel Sobieray and he’s sexy as hell. Follow his social media: (Instagram, & Twitter).

Same Author, Different Focus

Creative Writing Career 2 by Justin Sloan

If you want to read the first book I enjoyed by this author, just clicked here.

Much like the previous one, I reviewed, and the first book of the series, Justin Sloan interview different writers from different series. It’s quite literally the same formula as the first book.

So, with being said, I’m doing to give you a small list of the writers’ credits include such amazing titles as:

• Big Fish

• Batman

• Game of Thrones (my personal favorite)

• The Crow

• Divergent

• John Carter

• Brave

• Yesterday’s Gone

• Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

• Sandman Slim

• Jurassic World

So, with that being said… it’s going to get the same review as the first one: an A+. Come to think of it, I would suggest reading the review of the first book as it’s basically going to be the same for any book of this series.

The Most Important Part of a Story

Character and Archetype by Deren Hansen

Characters are the most important part of a story. They are the things that drive the plot along. Nay, they are the ones who actually start the plot. So, as one would imagine, that’s why I, among many other authors, put so much work on the characters alone. And that’s why I took a special interest in this book.

Unlike other books that explain what a character should and shouldn’t do in a story, this book focused on the actual formulating and categorizing of them. That’s right. This book is all about actually creating your characters from the ground up. And that means, mannerisms, attitude, quirks, strengths, weaknesses and many many other things.

Furthermore, it teaches readers/authors on how to, first, create the character from the ground up. Next, they teach how to keep track of your characters – both in a literal and personality sense. In other words, they tell you how to use excel to keep track of your character and make bullet points of key events that could effectively change the characters. Finally, they extended the help even further by making a complete list of questions that will help you create the character’s personality and appearances.

Oh! And when I say a complete list, I mean 40-50 combined questions that should leave you with no excuse in making a great character. Normally, I would write them all down but they were rattling them off way too fast for me to write them all. Plus, I got tired of hitting pause every five seconds so I promised myself to hit the Internet to get that full list. It a really sexy list.

This book is another one that gets an A+ from me. It’s the perfect book for a more in-depth lesson on character building.