Well, after only having two hours or so of sleep, I went with my mother to pay bills, browse at Oglethorpe Mall and Best Buy today and also to procure Christmas gifts for my sister and a friend of hers. We also picked up a whole publishing company of books (practically) from Barnes & Noble. Think of it as a sort of early Christmas present for us, the slavishly devoted readers, although I've been slack when it comes to that as of late. I may receive a few DVDs for Christmas. My mother's been hinting that she ordered a present for me online, oh excuse me, "A BIG GIFT", as she's been calling it. Anyway, after we came home from our excursion and ate some lunch around 2PM, I read Watchmen for a bit then took a nap until about 8:30 when Zach called. I then hung out at the apartment of his girlfriend, Amanda. She, Zach, and a mutual friend of theirs, Sharon, were making sub sandwiches. We ate, watched part of Disc One of Season 3 of Scrubs and then the mutual friend had to leave. After conversing for two hours or so, they called it a night at about 11:30, as Amanda has to drive to Marietta at 7AM this morning - you know the home for the holidays thing. Zach and I might hang out after the holidays, as he'll be sticking around Savannah.
Besides the books I'm about to mention, my mother got two true crime books. It's always been her cup of tea. Heck, she even got a Criminal Justice degree. She loves all things to do with the criminal process.
On the book list...
I'm currently reading this and...WOW! I was an avid comic book geek back in my formative years then fell away from it. This graphic novel is rich with deep characterizations, dense thematic material, and I can't wait to see where it takes me. The movie version of this is coming out in 2008. I thoroughly enjoyed the V for Vendetta graphic novel and this looks to be just the masterwork that others have deemed it. Alan Moore is amazing. In the Graphic Novels section at Barnes & NobIe I looked for Frank Miller's 300 but couldn't find it. Another day perhaps.
I plan to start reading this next. Bloodsucking Fiends looks like a dark comedy spin on vampirism. I'm always on the lookout for good vampire fiction. The Philadelphia Inquirer touted Moore's writing as reminiscent of Vonnegut. If that's even halfway true I'll be over the moon. I'm tired of lethargic, cliched vampire novels that think they're cutting edge by having their characters act like they're in a lame soap opera. In vampire fiction, I'm more intrigued about how a writer describes the process in which a human become a vampire and how they deal with being a vampire. If it's done poorly, it can be a boring, plodding affair that winds up being a waste of time for the reader. Witness Charlaine Harris's "Sookie Stackhouse" series. I invested time in almost all of those books only to be let down when it turns into a yawn-inducing Anne Rice Xerox with people transforming into dogs and werejaguars. I hope Christopher Moore doesn't let me down.
Yes, I know. After reading the synopsis, this book sounds it copies a bit from Dead Like Me. I'll let you know how this one turns out.
I really liked the novel Hannibal, thought the movie's rewritten ending was a total and utter copout (remember, Hannibal got away? The book has he and Clarice running away together as a couple). Even though Thomas Harris took a script he wrote of the same name and crafted it into novel form, I'm looking forward to this. The film version of this novel will hit theaters February 9th.
I, like the rest of the world, have been reading Stephen King novels as long as I can remember. Unlike alot of these very same people, I could never get into The Dark Tower series, try as I might. And like alot of authors, he's had some misses. Insomnia, From A Buick 8, to name two. I didn't like Cell. It showed promise then unraveled as the end of the novel approached. The synopsis of Lisey's Story puts me on edge a bit, as King in fantasy mode has never gelled well with me. Still, he is arguably the most popular author of the latter half of the 20th and early part of the 21st century and like a loyal baseball fan, I'll always be there to devour the latest offering and then offer my two cents.
Well, I'm going to tool around the old Internet for a bit and then read more of Watchmen before I hit the hay.
This is the really cool video for "Phantom Limb", the awesome first single from The Shins' forthcoming album Wincing The Night Away which will be released by Sub Pop Records on January 23rd. On January 13th, The Shins will perform on Saturday Night Live. Jake Gyllenhaal will be hosting. Music experts and cinemaphiles might remember that two songs by The Shins, "New Slang" and "Caring Is Creepy", appeared on the soundtrack to the 2004 film Garden State.
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