Edward Lorn's Blog, page 45
October 30, 2015
I Love My Friends Part 2!
My good friend and resident Booklikes Dinobot, Grim ♥ Black Bolt, sent me two books recently. She saw my post about the shitty condition of The Ecstatic that I received from Amazon and had an extra copy laying around, so she mailed me it along with a signed copy of one of my favorite Palahniuk books.
I’ve known Grim for going on two years now. She’s one of the most unique people I’ve ever met and one of those rare all-around good souls who finds joy in seeing others happy.
I’m glad to know you, Grim. I will cherish these.
Original post:
edwardlorn.booklikes.com/post/1279742/i-love-my-friends-part-2
A Drink Before the War Review
Review: 
This is my first experience with a Dennis Lehane book. I’ve seen the movie adaptations of Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River, and Shutter Island but had yet to read something by him. Last night I figured I would remedy that. Thanks to the magic that is Minecraft and Audible, I was able to blow through it in one session of gaming. The audiobook is narrated by Jonathan Davis (no, not the lead singer of Korn), and Mr. Davis does a passable job. Nothing stellar, but he got the job done.
The book itself is your typical private investigator drama. The team of Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro share a certain sexual tension that is fun for a very short period of time but soon grew to annoy me. Angie is married to an abusive hubby, and you know at some point she’s either going to get her revenge or her partner is going to step in, and I just wanted it to fucking happen already. Kenzie is pining after Angie, and he’s not subtle in the least. I appreciated that at one point Angie tells him to lay the fuck off, because I was kinda hoping he would too. You know what? Just one time I’d like to see a book tackle a PI duo where the dude is being abused by his spouse and the woman of the team is constantly harassing him for a piece o’ that swingin’ sausage dangling betwixt his legs. If nothing else, it would break the monotony of this overdone dynamic.
What makes this book standout in one of the most crowded genres in the industry is Lehane’s literary prowess. The guy can write. And while I don’t know that I would continue on with this series (the characters really did nothing for me), I would read one of his standalones in a heartbeat. (Scratch that. Just noticed I have the next book in this series, so I’ll at least get that far.)
In summation: Overdone character dynamic mixed with some fantastic prose puts this one in the middle for me. I didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. Recommended if you like PI stories and good writing.
Final Judgment: Wicked writin’, kid! I’m fawkin’ serious, dood.
Original post:
edwardlorn.booklikes.com/post/1279339/a-drink-before-the-war-review
October 28, 2015
How Republicans Are Fucking Everything Up For Themselves
With the GOP debate scheduled for tonight, I started thinking of questions to tweet to what could be the biggest group of poster children for mental instability ever to be gathered in one place and televised (seriously, have you heard Carson and Trump speak?). But then something occurred to me. Something that might actually sway some Republicans to rethink their positions on critical talking points like raising the minimum wage.
If you’re a republican, you’re fucking things up for yourselves. No, don’t run away, read the rest of this. I will try to be respectful from here on out, but I have very little filter, so I apologize in advance if I offend you with how poor this nation is.
While I was out at my local thrift store today, I noticed how busy they were on a Wednesday afternoon. It’s quarter-book day, but I was the only person in the book section, something I still cannot comprehend. Anyway, it astounded me that this place would be so packed in the middle of the week. And then it hit me.
When the nation has such little disposable income and the minimum wage isn’t a living wage and trickle-down economics is a thing, you’re really and truly screwing yourselves. People shop secondhand and Walmart and hit up neighborhood food pantries. Do you know what all these things have in common? Zero to very-little tax income. Thrift stores put no money back into the community, at least not here. All the thrift stores in town are church owned, and we all know churches don’t pay taxes. Food pantries do not pay taxes on the food they give away. And Walmart employees are paid such low wages that they require public assistance just to survive.
Why is this? Republicans cannot be this blind. You’re stealing from yourselves by not raising the minimum wage. If consumers cannot consume new items, you’re missing out on tax dollars. How are the rich going to get any richer if the government doesn’t have the money to offer them tax breaks and loans? How are you going to buy poster board and sticks and markers to protest Planned Parenthood if there’s nothing to trickle down? How in the name of all-holy Tom Cruise are you going to buy more guns if the NRA goes broke due to lack of government kickbacks? What are you going to do?!?!?!?!?!?
Surely we must vote to raise the minimum wage so that you may continue to be rich and comfortable and entitled and segregated from the filthy working class. Because if you don’t, the terrorists win.
*hugs and high fives*
E.
Original post:
edwardlorn.booklikes.com/post/1278460/how-republicans-are-fucking-everything-up-for-themselves
October 27, 2015
Norwegian Wood Review
Review:
Norwegian Wood is not what I expected. I was looking for more of Murakami’s surrealist fiction, more of his magical realism, but I got a coming-of-age love story. That in no way lessened my enjoyment. It was simply a much different experience than I was prepared for.
If you have not read Murakami and you enjoy literary fiction, you’re truly missing out. I’m ashamed I didn’t come across him sooner. He was completely off my radar until my buddy Gregor introduced me to his writing. Translator Jay Rubin does a fantastic job, and all his translations come Murakami approved, so rest assured that nothing is lost in translation. At least not where the author is concerned.
Norwegian Wood is told in first person from the perspective of Toru, a college student who’s simply floating through life. He meets a girl named Naoko and a guy called Kizuki, and his life is changed forever. This book is passionate. Murakami harnesses the power of love without being sappy. He writes erotic scenes without overused shit like “her glistening sex” and “her throbbing core” or “his swollen member” or “his massive fuck stick.” Those silly-ass terms are the reason I don’t read erotica. Hard to find something arousing when I’m laughing my balls off at word choice. Murakami succeeds at being the only author I’ve read that uses “penis” and “vagina” sensually. And his scenes are truly sensual. I’ve read a lot of sex in my day. Murakami writes about making love without beating to death all the standard romance tropes.
Fuckers kill themselves like its feudal Japan in this piece. The folks in this book might as well be dishonored samurai. This fucker kills themselves in turn making this fucker kill themselves and then some other fucker kills themselves. Jesus Christ, I thought I was reading the novelization of The Happening, you know, without the stupid-ass killer trees. But there’s a point to all of it. The book has a theme. Bring your reading caps, friends and neighbors, or this is just going to seem like a simple tale of love lost and love won followed up by some more love lost.
In summation: If you’re not on it already, you need to board the Murakami Train. His books are at turns beautiful and sorrowful, and consistently magical. Even when there’s no magic involved. Highly recommended.
Final Judgment: Hypnotizing.
Original post:
edwardlorn.booklikes.com/post/1277932/norwegian-wood-review
October 26, 2015
Another "Good" Condition Incident
I purchased The Ecstatic from an Amazon approved seller who I’ve used several times. The book was marked “good” condition. Not sure how many of you remember the problem I had with the Jo Nesbö book I received from Wonder Books a while back, but this was a different seller. I like this new seller. They are normally terrific, especially when it comes to used books. But this? Well… just look.
That’s at least five layers of stickers. And no, I’m not the one who tried to remove the ones that are only remnants now. I have not altered the book in anyway. What you see is what I got in the mail yesternight. If you zoom in, you might even see the “Good” on the newest sticker, the topmost one set right of center.
There’s writing on Every. Single. Page. On top of all that, the spine is feathering and the cover is bent to shit.
That’s my “Fucking, really???” face.
Who looks at a book like this and says, “Yeah. Sure. This is in good condition.”
Sigh…
Original post:
edwardlorn.booklikes.com/post/1277170/another-good-condition-incident
October 24, 2015
Book Haul (for the week starting 10/18/2015) with special guest star Tiny Vader
Tiny Vader and I had a blast this week. Everything pictured in the stacks were a quarter each and purchased from one of my local thrift stores, where all books are only twenty-five cents on Wednesday. The Murakami is brand new, and The Abominable Man (both the English translation and the original Swedish) were gifts from my buddy Thomas Strömquist.
I was especially excited to find Dan Simmons’s Drood for only a quarter. I’ve wanted that one for a while, and I’m glad I was patient in my hunt.
Original post:
edwardlorn.booklikes.com/post/1275908/book-haul-for-the-week-starting-10-18-2015-with-special-guest-star-tiny-vader
October 23, 2015
I Love My Friends
My buddy Thomas Strömquist sent me a package all the way from Sweden. I’ve been learning Swedish, and Thomas was kind enough to send me both the original novel and the English translation (pictured below). The white boxes are salty licorice of a much higher quality than the Haribo pirate coins I tried a few months back. The Haribos were rock hard. These have a far better texture and flavor.
Jag älskar allt du skickade mig! Många tack, Thomas!
quist
Original post:
edwardlorn.booklikes.com/post/1275551/i-love-my-friends
Randomized Randomocity #179
A pastor shot a football player. The football player was well known and respected in the community. But something happened and the football player showed up at church with a brick, threatening to bash the pastor’s head in.
Twist Ending: The pastor was fucking the football player’s wife.
Moral of the story: When your pastor tells your wife that she needs a little religion in her, don’t take a brick to a gunfight.
Original post:
edwardlorn.booklikes.com/post/1275285/randomized-randomocity-179
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