The Latest Roundup
I am constantly stumped by the "what are your favorite books/movies/albums" questions because each of those are fluid for me. I realized recently that the books I have most enjoyed on a re-read are, predictably, classics: Tender is the Night, Sula, Pride and Prejudice, and Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears. Otherwise I'm generally in love with what I'm reading right now; it's adding to the stuff I'm thinking about and bearing very good fruit for use in all arenas.
My uncle Howard gave me The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz for Christmas, and I read it over the weekend that I spent in Richmond at my aunt Dee-dee's house. It was good and helped fill out a lot of my observations from growing up getting my hair done in a Dominican salon with women who are always talking in their rapid-fire Spanish about the many and varied hexes that have been put on them and their relatives. And who gave me some of the best advice I've ever had about the "burdens" of womanhood. I am trying to finish Moneyball for work; the writer is knowledgeable, and in love with his subject, but nonetheless loses his stride midway through and I hope will pick it back up in the end. Because its tough right now, and I can hear him slogging away at his laptop. Also readingPhillipa Hughes' latest re- imagining of the life of the Tudors-- The Boleyn Legacy. Finally, my very generous Auntie Dee-dee's Barnes & Noble giftcard yielded an opportunity to buy Rhett Butler's People. Don't judge. I loved Gone With the Wind (because Mammy is the Don Dada; don't sleep on Mammy) and Scarlett and I thought this was worth a read.
Musically, a friend recently turned me onto Sharon Jones & the DapKings. It's good if you like old style blues-shouter r&b. She sounds like a discovery from an obscure Chess Records session, a great singer who never got her due because the payola was going toward making her rival a star. Also, the new Mary J. Blige, which is essentially a Part II to her last joint, the new Alicia Keys, which is interesting, because she sounds like a grown up, even though she's kind of blown out her voice, and Jigga's American Gangster which is like that. I also recently downloaded all of Chaka Khan's stuff from the Rufus era, the albums my mother used to put on when we were cleaning up the house on Saturdays in Charlottesville.
Movie-wise, I've been slacking on my pimpin'; I need to get out to the cinema so I can be ready for the Academy Awards. I promise I will post my full handicap. I finally saw Juno, which was every bit as good as all of its reviews. Ahhhh, the folly of youth-- imagine dismissing Sonic Youth as "just a lot of noise"?! Blasphemous. Next on my list is Atonement. I have to steel myself for three hours of Keira Knightley's bony pouty ass. So I'll keep you updated on that, because she really irritated me as Elizabeth in Pride & Prejudice. Annoying.
My uncle Howard gave me The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz for Christmas, and I read it over the weekend that I spent in Richmond at my aunt Dee-dee's house. It was good and helped fill out a lot of my observations from growing up getting my hair done in a Dominican salon with women who are always talking in their rapid-fire Spanish about the many and varied hexes that have been put on them and their relatives. And who gave me some of the best advice I've ever had about the "burdens" of womanhood. I am trying to finish Moneyball for work; the writer is knowledgeable, and in love with his subject, but nonetheless loses his stride midway through and I hope will pick it back up in the end. Because its tough right now, and I can hear him slogging away at his laptop. Also readingPhillipa Hughes' latest re- imagining of the life of the Tudors-- The Boleyn Legacy. Finally, my very generous Auntie Dee-dee's Barnes & Noble giftcard yielded an opportunity to buy Rhett Butler's People. Don't judge. I loved Gone With the Wind (because Mammy is the Don Dada; don't sleep on Mammy) and Scarlett and I thought this was worth a read.
Musically, a friend recently turned me onto Sharon Jones & the DapKings. It's good if you like old style blues-shouter r&b. She sounds like a discovery from an obscure Chess Records session, a great singer who never got her due because the payola was going toward making her rival a star. Also, the new Mary J. Blige, which is essentially a Part II to her last joint, the new Alicia Keys, which is interesting, because she sounds like a grown up, even though she's kind of blown out her voice, and Jigga's American Gangster which is like that. I also recently downloaded all of Chaka Khan's stuff from the Rufus era, the albums my mother used to put on when we were cleaning up the house on Saturdays in Charlottesville.
Movie-wise, I've been slacking on my pimpin'; I need to get out to the cinema so I can be ready for the Academy Awards. I promise I will post my full handicap. I finally saw Juno, which was every bit as good as all of its reviews. Ahhhh, the folly of youth-- imagine dismissing Sonic Youth as "just a lot of noise"?! Blasphemous. Next on my list is Atonement. I have to steel myself for three hours of Keira Knightley's bony pouty ass. So I'll keep you updated on that, because she really irritated me as Elizabeth in Pride & Prejudice. Annoying.
posted by mocha mayhem @ 1:07 AM
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