http://lrawles.com/lblog Conquering boredom, one book at a time. Sat, 08 Mar 2008 06:21:52 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en There's nothing more delightful than a book that makes me feel smart while I'm reading it. I don't mean in a "Oh my God, this is such simplistic writing" kind of way. More like "Hey, I totally recognize that obscure cultural/literary reference!" It's why I like reading Jasper Fforde. It's a ... http://lrawles.com/lblog/2008/03/08/on-the-bookshelf-american-gods-by-neil-gaiman/ My family is crazy - just like everyone else's family. But there are books that remind me why I'm so grateful to have them. And this is one of them. "Seeing Me Naked" is undoubtedly chick lit, but hey, I'm not a snob. I like chick lit, and this is a ... http://lrawles.com/lblog/2008/02/28/on-the-bookshelf-seeing-me-naked-by-liza-palmer/ I feel about extreme mountain climbing the way I feel about the Discovery Channel's Shark Week. It's fascinating as a spectator, but there's no way I'm climbing into that steel cage with a bucket of chum. One of my favorite books is Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air," an account of a ... http://lrawles.com/lblog/2008/01/18/on-the-bookshelf-no-shortcuts-to-the-top-by-ed-viesturs/ I've been a horribly inconsistent blogger, so in penance I'll admit something embarrassing. I spent my evening listening to Kenny G's Christmas album while my dad taught me how to dance the foxtrot. Beat that! The only possibly way it could have been dorkier is if I'd been wearing a ... http://lrawles.com/lblog/2007/12/24/christmas-penance/ Being a fast reader definitely has its advantages. But a big disadvantage is that I run through books like crazy, and to be honest, I can't afford the bookstore tab. I'm on vacation right now, and since Monday night I've read the following books, in order: "Big Boned," by Meg Cabot "The No. ... http://lrawles.com/lblog/2007/11/23/speed-reading-thanksgiving/ Denise Mina's "Garnethill" isn't just dark. It's a black hole that sucks you in and consumes you. I've gone on record saying that I don't like movies and books that deal extensively with mental illness. For the most part, I think that this is still true; I have no intention of running ... http://lrawles.com/lblog/2007/11/12/on-the-bookshelf-garnethill-by-denise-mina/ Omigod, will everyone who's not me go see the stupid Bee Movie already? Because Jerry Seinfeld needs to stop hawking his A Bug's Life ripoff on every channel on which my remote control lands. Dave Foley will forever and always be funnier than you, Jerry! Having been alive in the 1990s, ... http://lrawles.com/lblog/2007/11/03/yada-yada-yada-a-protest/ Okay, I didn't like this one. But I think that part of the failing is mine, not the book's. "The Oxford Murders" was originally written in Spanish, and I'm ashamed to say that I could not get past that. The entire time I was reading it I kept thinking, "That's kind ... http://lrawles.com/lblog/2007/10/23/on-the-bookshelf-the-oxford-murders-by-guillermo-martinez/ That One Band (Our debut CD would be "One-Hit Wonders" and our 2nd CD would be "Letdown." I came up with this in high school.) Fuzzy Little Bunnies Gravity Always Wins (This would be my Radiohead-tribute band.) We Value Your Patronage Dammit, Man! Frogland Ambassadors Dimestore Ninjas (Partial credit for this one goes to my work ... http://lrawles.com/lblog/2007/10/02/random-list-2-names-for-the-band-ill-form-if-i-develop-musical-talent/ Aside from Disney's read-along books and cassettes (Oh, The Fox and the Hound! How you made me cry!), I was never that into audiobooks as a kid. I think it was mostly that I can read in my head a lot faster than anyone can read aloud, and I have ... http://lrawles.com/lblog/2007/09/18/a-cool-title-for-my-post-about-audiobooks/