Charles Martin's Blog, page 43
November 25, 2012
This Week in Word of the Days 11-11-12
From my daily writing indulgence originally posted on my Facebook page.
nictitate \NIK-ti-teyt\, verb:
To wink.
It seemed impossible that the ambitious little mouse, named Mortimer K. Wifflebottom, successfully engineered cold fusion using a cone cup, three inches of brass piping, a dash of soda powder, and three freshly cut jalapeños. Yet, the humorless scientist couldn’t stifle a smile when Mortimer nictitated with bravado and chirped, “I’m a lab mouse, what else am I going to do with my time but save the world from you silly humans?”
armistice \AHR-muh-stis\, noun:
A temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties.
Everyone was amazed by how quickly the student council election between Alicia and Elizabeth (former besties) devolved into a bare-knuckle brawl of rumors, libel, smear campaigns and arson. An unsteady armistice was enforced by a rattled and overwhelmed principal who, just that morning, had accidentally been tazed when he’d foolishly stepped into the middle of an argument between the two treasury candidates.
troth \TRAWTH\, noun:
1. Faithfulness, fidelity, or loyalty.
2. One’s word or promise, especially in engaging oneself to marry.
Pungent cigar smoke tumbled gently out of the ancient’s nostrils as he smirked down at the anguishing young man. “The beautiful thing about unrequited love,” the ancient grunted in a dying gravel, “is we are allowed to worship without the burdens of ceremony, troths, tithes, or chastity. Because it can exist without tether, reward and responsibility, unrequited love is the purest of all passions.”
disbosom \dis-BOOZ-uhm\, verb:
To reveal; confess.
Already a highly skilled romantic at the age of nine, Norman tossed around his heart carelessly as only children and the insane can. He disbosomed his eternal love daily to a new quarry in rich and persuasive pleas, stunning the young and silly schoolgirls and the cynical and confused teachers alike.
bird-dog \BURD-dawg\, verb:
1. To follow, watch carefully, or investigate.
2. In slang, to steal or attempt to steal another person’s date.
noun:
1. One of various breeds of dogs trained to hunt or retrieve birds.
2. A person hired to locate special items or people, especially a talent scout who seeks out promising athletes.
Dustie’s wilting personality and small, fragile voice cloaked the unassuming woman as she bird-dogged wayward husbands for the Levivitz Private Detective Agency. Resilient and efficient, the office secretary joked that she was a sick voyeur, but in reality Dustie walked those shadowed alleyways, peeking through seedy hotel windows and listening in on bugged phone lines in an endless quest to understand. If she could finally understand, then maybe she could stop hating Ted. If she could learn to forgive Ted, then he would leave that awful woman and come back home where he belongs.
dog-ear \DAWG-eer\, verb:
1. To fold down the corner of a page in a book.
noun:
1. (In a book) a corner of a page folded over like a dog’s ear, as by careless use, or to mark a place.
Elderly oil baron, Larry, started rethinking his recent matrimony to Bunny, the recently retired exotic dancer, when he found “arsenic”, “smothering”, and “euthanasia” dog-eared in the encyclopedia.
terpsichorean \turp-si-kuh-REE-uhn\, adjective:
1. Pertaining to dancing.
noun:
1. A dancer.
The boy’s voice evaporated inches from his mouth, his eyes drifted away from all human contact and he stood away from crowds like a shadow dodging away from the sun, but when he danced, when he burst into the terpsichorean celebration of the quiet he found within the protective embrace of music, he was boundless and unashamed. He could, for just a few minutes out of every torturous day, forget.
November 20, 2012
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Repost from my Goodreads review:
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I checked this book out of the library, and will now need to buy it so I can reread over and over again until I have finally figured out how Eugenides did it. The story of a hermaphrodite retracing his/her twisted family tree is so familiar and nuanced that there is nothing left for me to do than totally steal all his techniques. Really, I have no other choice. My favorite novel I’ve read in a while.
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Repost from my Goodreads review:
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Steinbeck still epitomizes classic American fiction to me, and Cannery Row is my favorite Steinbeck novel. There is no real plot in this book, but is instead a roaming collection of yarns all thread together to introduce a fascinating fishing community. Steinbeck gives honest faces from the top levels of society to the homeless and the brothels. Steinbeck’s love and admiration for the town is so honest and natural that, by the end of the book, it feels like home.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Repost from my Goodreads review(you should read before watching the movie):
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The majority of the story takes place on a life-raft with a boy left alone with zoo animals. I love this book, I loved the storytelling, I loved the narrative, I loved the arch and I loved the ending which was so complex and troubling that even as I type this, I am going back over the book in my head and unraveling what it all means.
I enjoyed this book all the way through, I probably read it too fast and might have to give it another read to see what I missed.
The Castaways by Rob Vollmar
Repost from my Goodreads review:
The Castaways by Rob Vollmar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you’re a fan of John Steinbeck or substantive graphic novels, then this is worth your time. Vollmar’s storytelling style is more deliberate than what is often found in illustrated stories, but castaways has a very strong sense of humanity and economy that makes it an easy and rewarding read.
Room by Emma Donoghue
Repost from my Goodreads review:
Room by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I can’t imagine the courage it took to put the narration in the voice of a five year old, but it paid off. The premise of the story might seem horrifying and grim, but the book is rewarding and easier to digest then it might initially seem.
By The Time We Leave Here, We’ll Be Friends by J. David Osborne
Repost of my Goodreads review:
By The Time We Leave Here, We’ll Be Friends by J. David Osborne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A brutal story of prisoners escaping a Siberian camp via horrifying, opium-induced hallucinations that are still preferable to the everyday nightmare of Stalin’s soviet Russia. I’d never really considered what it would take to survive a prison camp in the winter wasteland, but copious drug use would be a logical first step.
Lamb by Christopher Moore
Repost from my Goodreads review:
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have read many good books this year, but this is my standout favorite. A comedic origin story of Jesus, it is offensive, crude, erotic and hilarious, yet still manages to be genuinely moving. Taking Jesus and the narrator, Biff, to India and the Far East to learn Kung Fu, yoga, becoming invisible and the gentle art of whoring created a Messiah far more believable and engaging than anything I had read before. It is not a story to make a person believe or disbelieve, but instead to just awe at the incredible burden placed on a young man destined to save humanity, but not told how.
Geek – o – Rama Loves eggs
The review is HERE!
The nitty gritty:
“The Good
This is a neat little compilation of honest stories, and you may just find yourself relating to one. Even if you can’t, they are tales about life that you can get a laugh from. With sections involving everything from working at a sex shop, to the woes of school, the stories are certainly meant to entertain. The newspaper comic style you don’t usually see in a book suits the approach to storytelling.
The Bad
Although some of the stories you may be able to relate to, not everyone will be able to appreciate all of the topics discussed. In all fairness though, there is the mature reader warning before you begin.
The Summary
If you have an open mind and are looking for a fun, quick read, this could be up your alley. It’s almost like the Sunday funnies for big kids. As a collection of events from the creator’s life, it doesn’t limit itself to any certain fan base either. I could see myself reading more of these in the future for a good chuckle.”
Geek – o – Rama loves Wonderboy
The review is HERE!
The nitty gritty:
“The Good
It’s always a strong indication of how good a book is when you feel the constant urge to continue reading it, even when you shouldn’t be. That is very much the case with Wonderboy. I really had a tough time pulling away from this book. It’s not your typical superhero story, and this unique approach is wonderful. We get this world from many angles, yet the reader is never lost seeing through another character’s eyes. Normally I don’t like cliffhangers, but the ending of each chapter left me anxious and I just wanted to read on.
The Bad
If I had anything bad to say, it’s that it takes a little while to gain momentum. Once it does though, it really kicks into gear and makes you push on faster.
The Summary
This is a fantastic read, and I cannot wait to acquire the next chapters. The Wonderboy stories are definitely ones that I suggest be purchased. Whether you’re a superhero fan or not doesn’t really matter, this series is a good read for pretty much anyone. I don’t often re-read things, but I would certainly enjoy this again.”
