My Year in Books: 2014.

Ever since I challenged myself in 2009 to read 52 books in the year, I established some good reading habits to keep up the momentum. I've relaxed on the challenge aspect of reading, since I don't want to deter from reading longer books just because they may take more time.

This year I managed to read 42 books. It was an inspiring year in reading; I discovered a lot of writers partly because I was seeking out original voices and going to book readings in Brooklyn, and partly because I joined a couple of literary groups. I met people in those groups and followed them on social media and heard of a lot of new writers; some of them were even writers themselves.

Here are the the books I read this year in chronological order, the star rating I gave them on Goodreads, and those that are bold became all-time favorite books of mine.

01 The Best American Magazine Writing 2013, ASME *****
02 Powers, Vol 1: Who Killed Retro Girl?, Brian Michael Bendis ***** (re-read)
03 Like Life, Lorrie Moore ****
04 A Story Lately Told, Anjelica Huston ****
05 1800 Miles to Nowhere, Brian Diaz ***
06 Salvador, Joan Didion ****
07 Ms. Marvel, No 1, Willow G. Wilson *****
08 S., J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst ***
09 The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton *****
10 Disgrace, J.M. Coatzee *
11 The Last Thing He Wanted, Joan Didion ****
12 Songs for the Missing, Stewart O'Nan **
13 After Henry, Joan Didion ****
14 The Yellow King and Other Stories, Robert W. Chambers ***
15 Swimming, Joanna Hershon ****
16 The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line, Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham ****
17 Powers, Vol 2: Roleplay, Brian Michael Bendis ***
18 Powers, Vol 3: Little Deaths, Brian Michael Bendis ***
19 Powers, Vol 4: Supergroup, Brian Michael Bendis *****
20 Powers, Vol 5: Anarchy, Brian Michael Bendis ****
21 The Book of Unknown Americans, Cristina Henriquez *****
22 Powers, Vol 6: The Sellouts, Brian Michael Bendis ****
23 Powers, Vol 7: Forever, Brian Michael Bendis *****
24 Powers, Vol 8: Legends, Brian Michael Bendis ****
25 Powers, Vol 9: Psychotic, Brian Michael Bendis ****
26 Powers, Vol 10: Cosmic, Brian Michael Bendis ***
27 Powers, Vol 11: Secret Identity, Brian Michael Bendis ****
28 The Most Dangerous Animal of All, Gary L. Stewart and Susan D. Mustafa **
29 Cutting Teeth, Julia Fierro *****
30 Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York, ed. Sari Botton ****
31 The Woman Upstairs, Claire Messud ****
32 Friendship, Emily Gould ****
33 Wild, Cheryl Strayed *****
34 Middlemarch, George Eliot ****
35 Bad Feminist, Roxane Gay *****
36 Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ****
37 Nightwood, Djuna Barnes ****
38 All the Roads That Lead From Home, Anne Leigh Parrish ****
39 NW, Zadie Smith ***
40 A Million Miles, Amy Fleisher Madden *****
41 Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel *****
42 Tiny Beautiful Things, Cheryl Strayed *****

Like I said, it was an inspiring year in reading. One of my favorite new authors, Roxane Gay, who wrote Bad Feminist, had a fun superlative-y way of of recounting her year in reading -- here's me trying to do the same...

My favorite book of the year, and perhaps the last decade--a novel in which I saw myself and my mother and the important stories of of those who rarely have their voices heard: The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

My second favorite book of the year, because when one becomes inundated with apocalyptic premises, this one will sneak up on your and make you realize the beauty in your own world: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

A book dear to my heart that fills me with pride in my friend and honor to have been asked to edit it as it headed towards publication: A Million Miles by Amy Fleisher Madden

Examples of well-written novels that are great reads without having a "relatable" protagonist to root for (something I despise when people evaluate a story): Cutting Teeth by Julia Fierro, The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

Example of a not-so-well-written true story with a narrator you're supposed to like but by the end you kind of hate and you were glad when you got some money for it when you traded it in before moving across the country because c'mon, not even a DNA test?: The Most Dangerous Animal of All by Gary L. Stewart (who believes his father was the Zodiac)

She wrote how many pages at what age and won what award what am I doing with my life this is amazing!?: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Book I tried because of its Celebrated Author but became confused as to why it was any good at all: Disgrace by J.M. Coatzee

Now understand why this marvel is a classic: Middlemarch by George Eliot

Book that started out like watching the pilot episode of LOST and then became the final season of LOST and just...uh...lost me: S by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst

Short stories that stayed with me for such a long time I had to take breaks between reading the next story: All the Roads That Lead From Home by Anne Leigh Parrish

Cannot wait for the movie because LUPITA: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Books that made me cry in public: Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed, The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

What was the best thing you read in 2014?


Previously: 2009 | 2012 | 2013

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Monet's "Snow Scene at Argenteuil"

On Friday I woke up grumpy. I could see the snow stacked up on the windowsills, I could hear the whistle of the cutting wind, and I could feel the cold chilling the apartment. The alert on my phone said: -10 degree wind chills. I could hear it! I could hear the cold.

I grumbled as I put on layer upon layer of clothes getting ready for work. My mood went into certain distress when I could not find the winter fleece socks for my weatherproof boots. After twenty minutes, I went with my weatherproof sneakers instead.

Then I stood on the subway platform for an hour and a half, saw one packed train come and leave the station without a single person getting on or off, felt my feet go numb, and decided to call it a day on that endeavor. At street level I scurried into the neighborhood grocery store and made sure to grab enough food for Jesse and I if we were to be esconced for the entire weekend because of the blizzard.

Working from home in a comfortable outfit, under the blankets on the couch, was dream-like. How perfect! I could get everything done right there, and the wind sounds faded into something more like music as I knew I wouldn't have to face them that day again. Serenity.

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I was not to stay indoors all weekend, thankfully.

On Saturday, an event I was looking forward to at the Frick: the Dutch Masters exhibition. I was in awe of the Vermeers and the Rembrandts; there were many paintings I had never seen in person that I had long ago learned about in art history. But perhaps I’m most enamored of paintings with fictional histories - I do love fiction and I read The Girl With a Pearl Earring over a decade ago, and just finished The Goldfinch. But these fictional accounts also were words upon words of appreciation for these paintings, so when I stood in front of them, it seemed like only then did I understand fully and completely their power and those words. There are swaths of pages near the end in The Goldfinch that are in tribute to the titular painting, and to the enduring legacy of art, to the communication inherent in a centuries-old painting. I was a bit breathless in the throng as I stared at the little bird; maybe my eyes welled up a bit.

I think my love for Donna Tartt's novel The Goldfinch is swelling in retrospect. I gave it 4.5 stars but now I can't imagine what I docked it for. I think now it's a 5-star book... maybe it's one of my favorite books? It's certainly one that stays on the mind, and after seeing the painting, with the atmosphere Tartt so wondrously puts to page in mind, I'm already looking forward to rereading it one day.

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Afterwards, my museum companion Erica and I went to dinner, both carrying prints of Carel Fabritius' "The Goldfinch" and discussing our other favorite piece in the permanent collection, Jean-Antoine Houdon's sculpture "The Dead Thrush." I don't like birds much in real life, but am apparently attracted to them in art. I retreated home to an empty apartment (except for the cats, of course) and in my fervor of needing more ART decided to watch two long-time must-see Criterion edition films, The Double Life of Veronique and Paris, Texas. Definitely good, definitely ART -- my need to devour such satisfied.

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On Sunday I met Amy for brunch in Williamsburg and we lamented how we'd each only been to Paris once but loved it so much and as we looked around the cafe (it has a French name) we tried imagining we were actually in Paris. But -- not even close. One day, again!

I returned home for football playoff games with Jesse. It's always fun to watch games with him, even with the Patriots aren't playing. At one point we were talking about the best films of the year and I was having trouble picking my favorite (I've been mulling it for far too long) and then he said that he still hadn't seen one of my finalists and maybe we should watch it. I never say no when Jesse wants to watch a movie! (I, obviously, am always ready to watch a movie.) So we popped it in and it solidified: this was definitely my favorite movie of 2013. More on that when I divulge my list this week...

My Year in Books: 2013.

Ever since I challenged myself in 2009 to read 52 books in the year, I established some good reading habits to keep up the momentum. I've relaxed on the challenge aspect of reading, since I don't want to deter from reading longer books just because they may take more time.

This year I managed to read 33 books!

I managed to read more books that were released this year than perhaps ever before, so I'm a bit proud of that. Like always though, it's definitely a mix! And unfortunately, I still haven't finished S, so that will have to count towards 2014.

Here are the books I read this year in chronological order, the star rating I gave them on Goodreads, and those that are bold became all-time favorite books of mine.

01 Dark Places, Gillian Flynn ****

02 The Secret History, Donna Tartt *****

03 The Expendable Man, Dorothy B. Hughes ****

04 The Group, Mary McCarthy *****

05 Ariel, Sylvia Plath *****

06 By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, Elizabeth Smart **

07 The Liars' Club, Mary Karr *****

08 Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn ***

09 Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell *****

10 On Beauty, Zadie Smith ***

11 The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald ***** (a re-read)

12 Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple *****

13 Never Mind, Edward St. Aubyn ***

14 Bad News, Edward St. Aubyn *

15 Some Hope, Edward St. Aubyn ***

16 Mother's Milk, Edward St. Aubyn **

17 People Who Eat Darkness, Richard Lloyd Perry *****

18 The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller *****

19 Mysterious Skin, Scott Heim ****

20 Howards End, E.M. Forster *****

21 The Portrait of a Lady, Henry James *****

22 East Lynne, Mrs. Henry Wood **

23 Manhattan, When I Was Young, Mary Cantwell ****

24 This is How You Lose Her, Junot Diaz *****

25 The Night Gwen Stacy Died, Sarah Bruni ****

26 The Spectacular Now, Tim Tharp *

27 Life After Life, Kate Atkinson *****

28 Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See, Juliann Garey ***

29 Travels, Michael Crichton ****

30 The Lowland, Jhumpa Lahiri *****

31 The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt ****

32 The Postmortal, Drew Magary ***

33 The Silent Wife, A.S.A. Harrison ****

I'm currently in the middle of Sylvia Plath's journals, Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams' S, and The Best American Magazine Writing 2013 - and I'll be posting my favorite articles from it soon. Hopefully I'll finish all these within January. As always, my family was great at Christmas and I got quite a few more books, including what I believe is the rest of Joan Didion's works I haven't read.

As a tribute to my year of reading, I'm going to the Frick tomorrow to see Carel Fabritius' painting, "The Goldfinch," which was the subject of Donna Tartt's book of the same name. I loved the book, it has four stars on Goodreads but it's really a 4.5 star book. I'm excited to see the painting live, and Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is also on display in the same exhibit - and I read that book years ago.

I'd highly recommend any of my favorites, five-star, or four-star novels. Especially Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - what an adventure! However, I also love tailoring book recommendations so if you'd like a personal one, let me know some of your favorite books and I'd be happy to suggest!

What were some of your favorite books you read this year?

Previously: 2009 | 2012

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My "Fiction Written During My Lifetime" shelf - not kidding! The one below (not pictured) is pre-1983 novels.

About a month ago, my friend Beca posted a link to this article asking men who only read male writers to branch out. There were a couple of comments on Beca's post from men asking who to start with in terms of female writers -- indeed there are men who steer clear of 'women writers' because of general and generic connotations or stereotypes. I myself have heard some offhand comments from guys stating they just don't read female writers.

I think what irks me the most is that female writers as a whole being written off because they are grouped together as if they are all the same. As if the bleak, compact prose of Joan Didion is anything like the colorful, culture-straddling observations of Jhumpa Lahiri. I love them both, but not because they're women. Because they write well and like most books I read, I want to invigorate myself with a perspective I don't know or necessarily think about all the time. I enjoy escaping into my books every day.

Some of my favorite novels are by men; I don't judge a book based on the gender of who wrote it. I want all of the stories! Also, I may be the last person on earth who hasn't read J.K. Rowling. To each their own... but I do think there's something off about closing yourself off to an author because of gender.

The author of the post, Alanna Okun, wrote:

But it is a real waste to spend a lifetime never reading too far outside yourself. It’s shortsighted and limited to think that sticking to a single swath of perspective, one canon of many, won’t stunt your ability to be a thoughtful, open person in the world. It does a disservice to everyone involved, from the authors whose voices are never heard to the readers who never have the chance to hear them to the vast populations on this planet who still have to explain the very basics of their experience to those who haven’t ever stopped to consider them.

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I read this article in the middle of reading Kate Atkinson's book Life After Life - and recommending it to nearly everybody who would listen! Here's how I recommended the interesting structure of the book in my review --

I've explained it simply by telling them what happens in the first two chapters: a baby is born in England on a snowy day in 1910 but dies because it choked. In the next chapter, that same baby is born in England on a snowy day in 1910 and the doctor arrives in time amidst the snowstorm to snip the cord choking the baby. The baby lives.

It's definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year! I'm not sure if there is anybody reading here that realizes they don't read a lot of female-authored books, but in case you need some more recommendations here's a few other greats I've read this year:

The Night Gwen Stacy Died by Sarah Bruni (surreal, nerdy)
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (a retelling of the Greek myth)
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (hilarious, endearing)
The Liar's Club by Mary Karr (non-fiction recommended by Stephen King while I read his On Writing)

I should note that two of these above were personally recommended to me by my friend Adam, a guy who definitely doesn't let gender dictate what he reads.

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Right now I'm in the midst of Jhumpa Lahriri's latest The Lowland about two brothers in India during the '70s. Simultaneously, I'm reading a book I received yesterday that's more 'interactive.' My friend Rick recommended it to me because we both love J.J. Abrams, and he created the novel, along with Doug Dorst. The interactivity reminds me a bit of House of Leaves, but I'm not sure it's supposed to be frightening like that novel. The book is called S, but the novel inside is called Ship of Theseus. I started it last night, and it took about an hour to get through ten pages with all the notes in the margins between two characters and the letters and notes between pages. I'd describe the super heavy book more, but perhaps only photos will work to show off this production:

That's a napkin.

I usually read on my commute, but this one I'll have to strictly read at the poker table (that's a fact: Jesse bought a dining table that doubles as a poker table) lest the inserts fly out. It's a mystery unfolding, and I'm completely enthralled. I'm considering pushing off the plans I made tonight in order to stay in and continue reading this...

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I also learned this morning, true to the theme of this post, that Jesse's best friend, one of the best men in our wedding, has his book available for pre-order now. Jesse met Brian Diaz when they were on tour, and I'm sure Jesse will find many of those memories documented in this non-fiction book filled with tales from the touring life. Diaz talked about it here and there when we hung out in the past few months (sporadically, given how much he is on the road!). It's called 1800 Miles to Nowhere: Two Decades Of Life on the Road and it's available for pre-sale HERE. I will definitely be reading!

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Sidenote: here's a picture of Pee Wee enjoying the time with me on the couch last night while I ate dinner. He models the great Red Sox blanket made for us by my future sister-in-law! He likes to watch tv, too.

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Any book recommendations for me?

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Last night started off innocuously enough. Jesse and I had a quick bite to eat at our favorite local spot, and we traded jokes and football stats with the bartender. My husband was gentlemanly and walked me to the subway so that I could catch my movie and he could catch his football game.

As I was checking my bank account on my phone, however, I saw an erroneous $700+ charged for some concert tickets in LA. WHAT?!?! I headed into the theater, and bought my ticket to see Short Term 12 via kiosk while simultaneously on the phone with my bank. Luckily it all got squared away before the theater opened, but: annoying.

I felt better after talking on the phone because before that, and after finding out--those mere minutes--is when I have near-meltdown type of anxiety. These moments are almost always caused by money issues. I'm pretty relaxed about the unexpected EXCEPT FOR THINGS TO DO WITH MONEY.

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Moving on: Short Term 12 was a great film, and surely one that will be in my top 10 at the end of the year. I didn't know much about its premise going into it, and perhaps I should leave it that way for you, too. It's highly moving, and I was bawling into my wine (I love a theater that serves), and Brie Larson should be a serious contender for Best Actress next year. 

But she probably won't, as these things go.

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These are probably my favorite movies of the year so far: Fruitvale Station, Short Term 12, Before Midnight, Side Effects, Spring Breakers, Star Trek Into Darkness, Much Ado About Nothing, The Heat. Yes, even that movie.

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I've worked near to the Apple flagship store for years, so walking past the block-circling lines for the iPhone 5S this morning was no surprise. The noise level goes way up in the area, though. I mean, New York is always loud, but you have these lines of reporters breathlessly regaling their studios about freakin' lines.

I avoided the block for most of the day. During lunch I wandered around Midtown and snapped the photo above because it was a truly beautiful day. It's starting to get crisp in these parts, welcoming autumn, my favorite time of the year.

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Do not read The Spectacular Now. The movie is probably one million times better, though I have yet to see it. 

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I just IMDB'd the film The Spectacular Now and see that Brie Larson co-stars! Definitely going to see it now. Hopefully with a nice glass of malbec. 

1191

Yesterday I participated in an excercise called 10on10 on Tumblr, in which you post 10 random photos throughout your day - the 10th day of the month. It's a fun little documentation effort, and it's interesting to go back to other 10ths of past years. I saw that I've only participated four times before, and my first one was also a September 10th. I think it's one of those dates that I remember because I always know what date it leads to -- today.

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Last night was a great, inventive double date night! My mister gets all the credit for coming up with the idea: men cook, women relax. So simple, so brilliant! Kelly and I were able to rest, drink wine, hang out with Riggins the dog, and only ever so often yell answers to kitchen questions. We even installed some technology, and as we plugged in USBs and HDMIs we felt like this was the best traditional role reversal night ever.

The men were beyond successful: dinner was delicious. It was four-star, decadent, and fulfilling.

'By golly, boys, you might be better cooks than us. Geez Louise, you may have to do this more often!'

And the pride on their faces shined all night.

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P.S. My dessert was a hit, too!

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I'm nearly done with Junot Díaz's This is How You Lose Her and it's just wonderful and different. It makes me think in Spanish more and now I know I have to check out The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I have a few other books recommended and checked out of my friends' libraries. But, I'm always open to suggestions. Read anything good lately?

Art by Ekaterina Panikanova

Yet what is any ocean, but a multitude of drops?

Sometimes it feels like I'm in the business of being sick. It's definitely the most terrible occupation. This past weekend I got to visit my family for Father's Day and when I woke up on Friday morning and felt that tickle in my throat I almost laughed because of course.

We spent a wonderful weekend together, watching movies, talking about books, and enjoying each other's presence. I know that I wouldn't be who I am today without my parents, and I have my dad to thank for my mild to somewhat worrying obsession with film and literature. The true tribute of the weekend lay in the Saturday night viewing of my father's favorite film of last year, Cloud Atlas. I had never seen the movie, my father had never read the book which I loved. After ingesting it into the wee hours of the morning, and sprinkled with lively discussion throughout, I came to finally understand why my dad liked it so much. It has its faults (mainly in some of the rapid editing), but if it's a movie about the cycles of humanity, perhaps its faults can be viewed as meta and kind of endearing? In the glow of my dad's giant television, I indeed came to endear it. And there really are some spectacular visuals and great acting involved.

In the morning when my brother showed up and we were watching my dad open gifts, under the DVDs I gave him lay one final gift: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. As he was able to screen the movie for me, I hope he can delve into the book in the same way.

Later that day we were a state away in New Hampshire with my brother's fantastic fiance and her family, celebrating all the dads. It was a wonderful time cut too short again by my necessity to get home in time for work the next morning. My mom and dad speeded me down to Connecticut (two states away!) to my train, and it was sad to say bye to two of my favorite people.

I was still feeling a bit sick at the end of the weekend, but my mom also sparked something in me that has led me to deem this week a week of bettering myself. In the past this might have meant strenuous exercise, but as my mom and I were making a special recipe of brownies for my dad, I realized I did enjoy cooking and wanted to get more into it. The fact that I've said this several times in the past years (decade?) was just more reason for me to overcome my mild aversion to it.

The good thing was that I felt no qualms about staying indoors after work due to my being sick and so I could proceed with cooking. So for that past three nights I've made three different recipes! Yes, me. Unfortunately, I partake in them by myself and always wish Jesse was here, but he will be at some point. I've found that cooking and following a recipe after work in silence --I haven't even bothered to turn on the television or play music--has a somewhat meditative quality. I am able to zone my focus into the food and I'm enjoying it!

Last night in what I must say felt like a moment of true genius, a recipe called for a whole package of bacon to be fried halfway and then added to the dish in the oven. As I sat staring at the bacon fat left over in the pan, I realized I could just fry the brussel sprouts I had standing by in the bacon fat. And as I talked out loud to myself like I was Bridget Jones (yes, I understand that this is really only that level of genius), I fried the suckers and they were delectable.

Sidenote: must remember to buy an apron soon if this cooking thing keeps up.

My self-imposed week of betterness also involves no consumption of alcohol, upkeep around the apartment, laundry, and a return to my writing. Not just here, but my narrative writing. Last month while traveling I had a spark, a feeling, a wave of inspiration and it's all been formulating in my mind. I've finally started the task of molding it into something with actual words. We'll see where it leads me; I'm feeling positive.

I should also mention that part of the reason for this goal-oriented week is due to the fact that I have the impending and looming and exciting bachelorette for my best friend this weekend! In case it becomes debaucherous, I figured I should be fully recovered from my cold and harvest all the zen I could in the week leading up to it.

Until then, let's see if I can go five for five on days I'm cooking for myself this week!

I don't really need to wonder at all.

Time, like always, moving so fast. The past few weeks glided by and I believe I can't even approach to encapsulate it all with any justice. In an effort to guide myself back to this space of writing, I'll just describe a few things I remember and start anew...
 

Jesse was home and then he was gone again. He's still gone, until May. We had a terribly productive couple of weeks around the house, and soon after he left I fell ill with fever. As he commented, I was doing it wrong by getting sick while he was hundreds of miles away (to include Alaska). It's true, I felt decrepit and wished he could have gotten me soup and hugged me as I shivered. I soothed my cold with four days of television and movies, though. And Pee Wee, always Pee Wee.
 

I must highly recommend:
 

Top of the Lake - the whole miniseries is on Netflix Instant now and if your gut doesn't feel punched a few times during, and then completely disemboweled by the finale, then you're watching it wrong. Jane Campion's beautiful directing and New Zealand scenery juxtaposes against some sinister activity in this crime drama.
 

Hannibal - Bryan Fuller, creator of Pushing Daisies, takes a completely different tone in this tv series about infamous character Hannibal Lecter. It's downright Kubrickian, and the cinematography is lush even when it's dead bodies you are seeing. (I suppose I like seeing beauty in evil things?) Hugh Dancy plays an interesting hero (a bit different than the book's Will Graham), and Mads Mikkelson as Hannibal is creep creep creepy but mesmerizing - as he should be. Most annoying character award goes to Freddie Lowndes, but she's necessary to the story, I suppose.
 

Game of Thrones - Season 3 is already off to a great start, and it's definitely overshadowing any love for Mad Men currently. I thought Mad Men's 5th season was cinematic, bleak, and its best. Its current season is thoroughly uncinematic and just not as compelling as it treads around the same themes. Over on HBO, everything is awesome. I can't even elaborate more than that, but each week it's getting better and better... this finale's going to be a doozy. Trust you me. Also, my tumblr seems to have inadvertantly turned into a sort of Game of Thrones fan blog, because the internet wins.
 

Lust, Caution - Ang Lee's movie was the best movie I saw while sick. I watched some real bombs, as my Letterboxd diary can attest, and Lee's direction always rises above the amateurs. The film also reminded me of what a great actor Tony Leung is, as I loved him and the movie In The Mood For Love (also highly recommend on Netflix Instant).
 

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - I haven't seen the film yet, but I love the book a lot. I didn't want it to end. It's hard to even explain it, but I would recommend it to everyone.
 

"Still Into You" by Paramore - I've been playing this song on repeat, and I think it's probably this band's best song. I've listened to the new self-titled album a few times, but I always come back to this song because it's so fun and infectious and bright-sounding.
 

I also must mention that my best friend Kelly started a blog called The Sweet Avenue. It's a little spot of love and inspiration and cocktail recipes, which the world could always use, right? Since Jesse is remarkably good at making deviled eggs, he even wrote a quite hilarious post about it. Enjoy Kelly's blog! I certainly enjoy being her taste tester whenever I can be!
 

What else?
 

One night after stretching my body to and fro and up and sideways and making it feel leaden while my mind drifted I sat down and I had a lavender gimlet. Perhaps counterintuitive to all the restorative moves I just spent two hours doing, but a prize of a job well done, too. I had two lovely birds next to me, laughing along, and though my body hurt for days after it was all worth it.
 

I helped future bride Erica with a few wedding crafting projects on two occasions and normally I'm particularly wretched at having to craft, but turns out I'm able to tie twine around invitations, remove wax from old mason jars, and cut triangles out of fabric. I surprised even myself. The excitedly anticipated wedding will be much fun and look great!
 

On the subject of things I don't normally do, I was invited on a day trip to a farm an hour upstate this past weekend. My mother grew up in the rural countryside of Panama, so I've been to farms. And I'm not a fan mostly for the smell but also usually because of bugs and general dirtiness. However, I love animals. And at Glynwood Farm we reveled in lambs, piglets, and baby goats. Baby goats, I love thee and your soft little heads and curious eyes and adorable squeals of joy. I nearly stole one that kept butting my leg...I think it was a secret message to whisk him away in my arms. Alas, I had to say goodbye.

 

Tidbits of other thoughts that traversed my mind in the past few weeks:

 

I learned a friend will be leaving New York for San Francisco, quite abruptly. I think she's about to start a grand adventure.

 

My parents visited New Orleans, a city I've never had the chance to visit, and I'm jealous of all the fun they had.

 

I tried Steve's Mexican Chili Chocolate flavor ice cream and I'm not sure there is any better tasting ice cream than that one right there.

 

Liars are still The Worst, especially when they are making my friends hurt. Related: Harry Crane remains The Worst, too.

 

There's been a significant lack of backgammon since Jesse left, and I'm unamused by the fact that my skills are probably waning without the practice. He will likely win all future matches now.
 

Also in the past four weeks, I went dancing with girlfriends because one of us was unceremoniously dumped, and that's what you do. You dance. (Cue Robyn's 'Dancing on My Own.') And then while bedridden with chills you learn through various text messages that they've gotten back together, and now they're engaged and next day they've been married at city hall. April was most definitely a strange month, and last week probably strangest of all between work and personal maladies and national news. Historically strange, it would seem.
 

Onwards.

I fall without my wings.

I tend to save links to interesting stories and e-mail them out to people to discuss based on its topic. Here are some articles I've been reading from the past few weeks...

HELP US CATCH A KILLER by Michelle McNamara (LA Magazine) -- this is the fascinating archiving of a serial killer from the late 70s/early 80s. He raped 50 people and killed 10 in California. He was known as the East Area Rapist then as the Original Night Stalker -- now he is known as The Golden State Killer. The author has been trying to catch the killer for years, because he IS catchable - they have his DNA and he is most likely still alive. I made the mistake of listening to the recordings of the killer's voice as he left a creepy message. VERY SCARY. I've always been interested in serial killer stories, and this one gave me chills.

WE FOUND OUR SON IN THE SUBWAY by Peter Mercurio (The New York Times) -- this may or may not have brought tears to my eyes as I read it at work. Embarassing when your eyes are all red as you head into a meeting... Great story, and I love how it plays out like an epilogue.

THE CRIME OF BLACKNESS: DOROTHY B. HUGHES'S FORGOTTEN NOIR by Christine Smallwood (The New Yorker) -- I read The Expendable Man earlier this year, and it's GREAT. It originally came out in 1963 and to read it now is astounding in light of that year; I urge you to read the book (it's under 300 pages) and then read this article. But if you read this article first you'll definitely want to pick up the book anyway. If you've already read the book... you are awesome.

THE GHOST WRITES BACK by Amy Boesky (The Kenyon Review) -- written by a woman who ghostwrites for Francine Pascals' Sweet Valley High series. I was in love with these books growing up, of course. A bit of a window into something that makes me nostalgiac.

IN WHICH WE REGRET DIVORCING BEN GIBBARD by Cathaleen Qiao Chen (This Recording) -- TR has the best essays and perspectives on pop culture. Whether it be reviews written by 'Dick Cheney' or insightful pieces on a single piece of music, I love that website. Here's something that made me laugh and wonder.

WHY 'OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL' IS A MAJOR STEP BACK FOR WITCHES AND WOMEN by Elizabeth Rappe (Film.com) -- perhaps this essay more than any other was the reason why the most recent James Franco movie I've seen was Spring Breakers and not Oz. I had higher hopes for Sam Raimi. At least, higher than Harmony Korine, right? Has anybody seen this and liked it?

Speaking of Spring Breakers, yes I reviewed it. It's definitely a movie I thought I would hate, but I ended up kind of liking it? It's not for everyone and can be interpreted several ways, but I enjoyed it. Read my review and let's discuss. Also, join Letterboxd, let's be friends, and let's discuss movies all the time! It's my favorite thing to debate! Anybody else seen Spring Breakers? Got yer dark tannin' oil? Spring break forever????



Photo by Arno Arno via Flickr

Safe behind your teeth.

I meant to write about last weekend all week, and now the next weekend is upon me! In sum, I had a wonderful night on Friday celebrating my best friend Kelly's birthday, and then I headed to Massachusetts to spend the weekend with my dad. My dad and I are in similar situations right now: our spouses are oceans and continents away! So, naturally, we got together and watched movies, put together a puzzle, and ate ice cream cake. It's what we do. After a stressful work week, it was definitely a necessary and relaxing getaway for me. Thanks Dad! (And Buddy, pictured above!)

This week was also steeped in stress at work, but I've been trying to keep up with daily workouts and healthy eating. Like I'm an adult or something. My dad is going to be revolted by this, but I learned how to make really delicious brussel sprouts! Thanks to Kelly for showing me how easy it is. I think Instagram has made me despise non-professional photos of food, so I won't even post that here: DON'T WORRY.

Jesse's been quite busy across the world, and I'm so excited for him to come back next week. It's hard not being able to see and hear and touch someone for an entire month. I went to see Jack the Giant Slayer with my dad this past weekend and when the lead characters went in for a smooch I nearly sighed. And then I almost slapped myself. Get it together, Parker. Sad truth!

I decompressed from work most days this week with my commute reading. I finished Mary McCarthy's The Group, which apparently had quite a following in earlier generations of women. It still speaks to female friendships, and I liked it a lot. Then I read/edited a manuscript for a friend that wrote a novel that I cannot talk about at all until it's ready for publication, but it's awesome and I'm sorry I have to be vague and also for this terrible sentence. I just finished reading Sylvia Plath's collection of poems Ariel, and I think I re-read some of the poems three or four times before I was ready to put down the book. My favorite was "Lady Lazarus." I don't read much poetry, but I love Plath. Bleak but strong, melancholy but assertive -- I love her voice.

The rain's banging against the windows behind me, and I'm waiting for a call from Indonesia before I head to sleep.

I'll sign off with a few lines from Sylvia Plath's poem "You're"... I'm sure you can guess who I was thinking of while I read it:

Vague as fog and looked for like mail.
Farther off than Australia.
Bent-backed Atlas, our traveled prawn. 

My secret to working out.

"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." - Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

Yes, I am quoting the movie Legally Blonde before diving into a post about what I do to get those endorphins. My exercise routine for the past month has been dormant and this week I felt in need of a kick-start. I've been back to the gym and even tried this Zumba DVD set my mom gave me a couple of years ago. Yes, years...

Because when you haven't seen your husband in two weeks and the weather is dreary, you need some flippin' endorphins.

All that said, as a somewhat bookish person who played some soccer in high school and enjoys hiking mountains, I'm not quite attuned to regular exercise. What did I discover that brought me to the gym? I thought it could be making really cool mixes and jogging or ellipticalling (not a real word) to the beats. But no, it was the almighty Kindle that reeled me in. Well, the Kindle and a good book.

In 2010, I finished reading War & Peace on an elliptical as the sun came up over the Brooklyn skyline before I went to work. (I have a feeling that's one of the only books I will ever remember The Moment I Finished It.) Previously a bit skeptical of e-books, I now embrace the medium because it's allowed me to be more comfortable while working out.

Living in New York, my main reading space is on my commute on the subway. I've been conditioned to tune out most everything around me when on the train, and at the gym the Kindle helps me tune out the fact that I'm exercising! Miraculous. I think my next Kindle-read will be Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects. Any suggestions for fast-paced reading fun?

(Can't remember why Rory would smile during that book, but okay.)

PS The television character I always related most to was Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls. (Well, her and Hurley from LOST.) I think a Gilmore Girls series-binge is imminent. It's been over six years since I last watched the series. That is all.

PS2 Except for...what if Gilmore Girls had lasted long enough for the e-reader to exist? I wonder what Rory's opinion would be. I should have probably kept this meandering thought to myself...

Me thinking of you thinking of me thinking of you type love.

Programming note: the internet at home has been terribly slow for the past week! I am unable to upload photos right now. Will update when I can. Hopefully these words post...

Earlier this week I was talking to one of my friends who is in a relatively new relationship. Her boyfriend asked her if she ever watched porn, and she responded as I think I probably would have -- why watch skeezy videos when I love swooning to Ewan McGregor singing or George Clooney pulling a fully-clothed woman into a bathtub or Tom Hardy in a cardigan (plus their top notch production value)?

And so, on this Valentine's Day, since I will be spending it with my cat on the couch most likely watching Downton Abbey and Girls (check and check, Project Runway is currently on), here is an ode to some great (sexy) characters...

(I promise to update this with photos when I get a chance!)

>> Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth), Pride & Prejudice (BBC miniseries) - I watch this miniseries at least twice a year and it's like six hours long. That's how much it makes me swoon. I also know the DVD chapters that are 'most important.' (DARCY SCENES)

>> Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth), Bridget Jones's Diary - Obviously. Not only is it one of the best rom-coms ever, but it's basically Colin Firth reprising his P&P role.

>> Jack Foley (George Clooney), Out of Sight - hands down the sexiest movie ever. And there's no nudity or sex! But you just watch that trunk scene! You watch George Clooney pull a (surprisingly great) Jennifer Lopez into a bathtub with him while she's fully clothed! It makes no sense but it's sexy!

>> Christian (Ewan McGregor), Moulin Rouge! - that bright, shining face singing about love makes me swoon so hard.

>> Matt (Mark Ruffalo), 13 Going on 30 - Ruffalo is just so understated dreamy.

>> The Piemaker (Lee Pace), Pushing Daisies - the eager eyebrows do it all.

>> Walter Burns (Cary Grant), His Girl Friday - fast talking, LOVE IT.

>> Forrest Bondurant (Tom Hardy), Lawless - cardigans.

>> Eddie (Hugh Jackman), Someone Like You - I don't think many people have seen this rom-com, but YOWWWW Hugh Jackman in boxers!

>> Laurie (Christian Bale), Little Women - Bale has done many a swoon-worthy movie, but it all goes back to Laurie!

>> Hopsy (Henry Fonda), The Lady Eve - what a lovable buffoon!

>> Robert Downey, Jr in everything - because his charm extends everywhere!

>> Trent (Sam Rockwell), Lawn Dogs - little gem that made me fall for Rockwell.

>> BOTH Jesse and Celine in Before Sunset - because that chemistry! Their conversations; his smile, her accent.

>> Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), Silver Linings Playbook - I think I fell in love with her during the movie.

I could probably keep going...but I should STOP! Do you have any swoon-worthy characters you turn to when you need a romantic boost?

And if you need an injection of emotion tonight, here is a great and VERY SHORT but entirely AMAZING short story by Mary Robison called "Yours." It's wonderful, I promise.

I do miss Jesse. He is in Minneapolis and heads overseas tomorrow. We don't make much of a to-do about Valentine's Day, and he's usually traveling anyway. I'll tell you this much - he makes me feel loved and special most days of the year. I feel lucky and grateful every day... all those characters above are just characters, I got the real thing. Smiles! Happiness! Hooray!

And, finally, my Valentine's Day tradition, re-sharing Kelly's Christmas card from 2004 with you. Happy Valen-Mimes Day!

My Year in Books: 2012.

Ever since I challenged myself in 2009 to read 52 books in the year, I established some good reading habits to keep up the momentum. I've relaxed on the challenge aspect of reading, since I don't want to deter from reading longer books just because they may take more time. This year I managed to read 30 books; this guy read 366. Whatever.

I wish I could keep up with books as they are published--that I could make a 'Best Books of 2012' list, but I don't have the money (or desire) for hardcovers and I have enough unread books on my shelves--which is the main reason I try not to buy new books on my Kindle or at a store. (I cheat sometimes.) And my family does a good job of gifting me books! I think I read one novel that was released this year, and that was because of the hype, which it lived up to. I would recommend it to anyone: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Here are the rest of the books I read this year in chronological order, the star rating I gave them on Goodreads, and those that are bold became all-time favorite books of mine.

01 The Best American Magazine Writing 2011, ASME *****

02 Post Office, Charles Bukowski **

03 The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Joseph Gordon Levitt ****

04 East of Eden, John Steinbeck *****

05 Belle de Jour, Joseph Kessel ***

06 Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Leanne Shapton *****

07 The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton ****

08 The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories, Ernest Hemingway *****

09 The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood *****

10 A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway *****

11 Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri *****

12 Victory, Joseph Conrad ****

13 The Golden Notebook, Doris Lessing ****

14 Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling ***

15 Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami *****

16 Three Lives, Gertrude Stein *

17 Evelina, Frances Burney ****

18 Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury *****

19 Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn ****

20 The Beautiful and the Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald ****

21 Frankenstein, Mary Shelley *****

22 The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides **

23 The Rest of Life, Mary Gordon ****

24 The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent ***

25 My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead, Jeffrey Eugenides ****

26 Monster: Living Off the Big Screen, John Gregory Dunne ****

27 On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King *****

28 1Q84, Haruki Murakami **

29 The Stand, Stephen King *****

30 The Best American Magazine Writing 2012, ASME ***** (even though I'm not done yet, this volume is already at five stars...)

I would recommend East of Eden to everyone. If you're looking for something weird and creative, Leanne Shapton's Important Artifacts and Personal Property..., structured like an auction catalog and made up of the remains of a fictional relationship was a fun experience. And for years I've been kind of 'meh' on Stephen King, but upon reading On Writing and asking my dad (a King aficianado) his favorite novel by the author, The Stand is a new favorite. In fact, my dad and I challenged each other to a 'cast that novel' challenge since there are rumors Ben Affleck wants to direct a film version (hopefully a trilogy). I even made a page of who I would cast, like a nerd.

My shelves have been replenished since Christmas, and I've got The Group by Mary McCarthy, The Liars' Club by Mary Carr, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, another Gillian Flynn, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in the queue.

What was the best book you read last year? Have any recommendations? Any other The Stand fans or other books on this list? Contrarian opinions? Did anybody actually like reading Gertrude Stein? Any 2013 books you're excited about?

I was ready to set the world on fire.

Today I'm revving up and getting ready for what is panning out to be a great holiday weekend. More details on that tomorrow, but for now: got any questions for me? Amid my furious working and later, cleaning and packing, I'll answer them on my Formspring!

Here's a list of things I've been super-digging:

• My commenters' Top Five Girl Crushes lists. I almost made a Honorable Mention list. Almost.
• Liz at Dance to the Radio's Monday Mixtapes
• We all know I'm a huge Dashboard Confessional fan. Total geek. I love this new tumblr dedicated to the band, but with a mocking tone. I'm all for the die hard "I love you" fans, but I also know how easy it is to make fun of their emo reputation and, it's true, everybody takes a bad picture sometimes! It seems all in good fun. The best is their Dashboard Confessional show etiquette post - I quote - "7) DON’T yell for hands down every other song. I SWEAR TO YOU, IT WILL BE A COLD DAY IN HELL BEFORE THAT SONG IS NOT ON A SETLIST."
• A Great Big Pile of Leaves' new album getting a 93% rating on AbsolutePunk.net!
• This recipe for Tequila-Soaked Watermelon Wedges - delicious summertime snack
• How I realized I'm actually interested in The City's storylines about branding your fashion line and working at a magazine. Boys, schmoys - I like seeing them work!
• The Best American Magazine Writing 2009 - great, sometimes emotional, but always eye-opening reads
• And finally, a picture of really cute cheetah cub, the best animal in the entire world:

Everything lovely, effortless, safe.

Last night, I waded through the dreary Brooklyn weather with Jaime to arrive at an impressive little bookstore called Word. My bare legs were cold with a sheen of mucky rainwater backsplashed at my ankles, my sandals were soaked and I'm pretty sure my toes had started to prune - I had not prepared for rain before work! It was well worth the trek, however, because author Jenny Hollowell was reading from her debut novel, Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe.

The small room crowded with other valiant weather warriors, everyone eagerly listened to the young, poised Hollowell as she read four chapters from her book. From what we heard, I can tell you the book has depth, an acerbic wit, and sounds like it's sprinkled with some Didion-inspired prose. And I love Didion.

Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe (also a line from the book) is about a woman named Birdie who flees Virginia and her Evangelical upbringing for Hollywood, and becomes a body double for an actress. I am quite excited to start reading the book, and as Jaime and I are in a book club together, we decided it would be our next book for the group. And what a better place to recruit others into our book club - at an event based around the very book everyone was buying? So, our book club expands and if you'd like to read along, you can purchase Hollowell's novel via Word's own online shop here!

I'll circle back on the book in July after our group's meeting and anyone else who read it should tell me their thoughts then, too! In other book club news, Jaime and I just wrapped up Cormac McCarthy's Suttree this past Saturday over brunch:

Jaime above, complete with a Southern-ish cocktail that uses mint and sweet tea vodka - because Suttree takes place in Knoxville, Tennessee. You may know McCarthy from his popular book-to-screen adaptations of No Country for Old Men and The Road; I was enthralled by Suttree and the prose of the novel. The descriptions of Knoxville and its dismal surroundings, the portrait of a man afraid of his own mortality, and the surprising humor in the characters he meets along his miscreant adventures in the dirty city in the 1950s made for something I could hardly put down, with paragraphs I would reread right after I finished them. I obviously also recommend this novel!

But - back to last night - after getting my book signed by the author, she and a small group of the literary revelers traveled to a bar nearby for some drinks and snacks. There's just something about talking to others who enjoy reading; we shared good books we'd just read (see above), our excitement to read Jenny's book, and that evolved into conversations about media and advertising and etc., etc.! Jesse ended up coming by with friends to join the small table soiree (yes, I'm calling it that) and in the end, it was quite a fulfilling evening of boisterous conversation.

Are you into checking out Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe? Suttree? Have any book clubs of your own or a book you think I'd particularly enjoy?