Saturday, March 29, 2008

Livr Fast, Die Young Part I



WOW! I have had this book for a little more than a year! And wow, why have I NOT READ IT until now is beyond me. I have learned so much from this book, and even some more about James Dean! I have learned so much that 1 post will not be enough! Also, I am not yet finished with the book.
Fact 1: The word teenager wasn't used until 1941.
Fact 2: The Griffith Observatory was used as Jor-ELs Krypton Castle in the Superman Series. Also, The Griffith Observatory is named after miming Tycoon Col. Griffith J. Griffith. He once served jail time for shooting his wife! Woah!
Fact 3: Dr Seuss once wrote a screen play for the original Rebel without A Cause, when it was based on the bestselling book "Rebel Without a Cause: The Story of a Crimial Pyschopath" The studio later paid the author for use of the title only.

Read this book and find out:
Which "Rebel" star's Father once pucnhed Frank Sinatra?
Who was the actor who inspired the main character, Jim Stark?
How far did Natalie Wood have to go to get the part?
Who did Dennis Hopper threaten with a gun, only to find out the victim waasn't home that night?
Who was the main consultant for "Rebel" and why did the Studio think this was a bad idea?
How did Natalie Wood prepare for her 5 minute crying scene in the first few minutes of the movie?


This book is amazing because its SO much about the history of Hollywood. (Color movies, talkies, silent movies, juvenile delinquents, classic stars..wow! You don't have to actually LOVE the film this book is about, but having seen it helps. This book is SO amazing. So SO SO SO SO AMAZING.

Names also mentioned in this are:
Howard Hughes! Who doesn't love Howard Hughes?
Elia Kazan (of course)
Marilyn Monroe
Marlon Brando
Erol Flynn
George Stevens

BEST Name Mention EVER? Bob Dylan saw Rebel 4 times as a teenager and even bought a red jacket. *swoon* I am going to fall over from all this swooning!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Interview With the Vampire



I re-read this book because I really want to re-read the Vampire Lestat for a third time, but I had only read Interview with the Vampire once. And since its the first book in the Chronicles, I figured I would give it another go. Only so that I could understand Lestat better in the second one.
In Interview, you never really like Lestat. You sympathize more with Louis. He is just a likable vampire. In one part of the book he is traveling by ship *at night as vampires do* and he misses the blue of the ocean.
I also love that this book takes place in 1791, in New Orleans, then Europe.

"There was in me a great desire to see Europe and to know it, which comes not only from the reading of all the literature and the philosophy, but from the feeling of having been shaped by Europe more deeply and keenly than the rest if the Americans. I was a Creole who wanted to see where it had all begun."

And my favourite line, which Brad Pitt also perfected in the movie is "That morning, I was not yet a vampire and I saw my last sunrise. I remember it completely; yet I do not think I remember any other sunrise before it."

It makes me realise time and time again how much we really dont value whats important until you dont have it anymore. I try to see the beauty in things every day, but even some things I miss.

Monday, March 24, 2008

The Hobbit




A tale about a Dragon, a hobbit, some dwarves-and some jewels! My hearties, this is a tale of adventure that everyone needs to read!
This one is so completely different than the Lord of the Rings. I would almost say that this one is childlike. It's innocent. It's magical. It's wonderful!!!
My favourite thing about this was the Dragon, Smaug. I loved that Tolkien took you into his thoughts. That the Dragon regretted not closing up all the entrances to the mountains, and that he wanted to roast Bilbo. I mean, cmon! The Dragon had personality and he wore jewels. I need to meet this Dragon, Smaug! I cannot wait to be introduced to him in the motion picture, but I don't think he'll be as likable!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower



I cannot remember how long I've been wanting to read this book, never really knowing what it was about. If I had known that The Smiths were mentioned quite a bit, I would have read it years ago!
The book is bittersweet, melancholy, and nostaglic...but beautiful and profound. The music mentioned = remarkable. The characters were all so amazing. I even loved Charlie's sister (and his brother!)
Could I indetify with Charlie, what with being a wallflower and all? Yes, in some parts almost exactly. I haven't figured out what the perk is though, at least for me.
Some lines that stood out are:

"I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

"I had an amazing feeling when I finally held the tape in my hand. I just thought to myself that in the palm of my hand, there was this one tape that had all these memories and feelings and great joy and sadness. Right there in the palm of my hand. And I thought about how many people have loved these songs. And how many people got through a lot of bad times because of those songs. And how many people enjoyed good times with those songs. And how much those songs really mean"

-I definitly said that about my iPod! :) I am in awe of my iPod. :)

Charlie, about his father "I love him. And I don't know him."

and this is SO me...

"I would have told the table that, but they were realy having fun being cynical, and I didn't want to ruin it. So, I just sat back a little bit and watched."






and this is also me and I am sad to type it out, but here it is...

"You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things."

Inferno

I do not have a picture for this title. Important to remember though, it's the Robert Durling translation...beautiful beautiful beautiful.
My favourite thing about reading this was researching what happened during or after Inferno was written.
A few scenes from Inferno had been depicted by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. And I loved researching pictures of the chapel looking for those small details.
The Canto that affected me most was Canto 13.

Canto 13
Seventh Circle, second subscircle: the violent against themselves-the posioned wood-Pier della Vigna-the chase of prodigals-the anonymous Florentine

Not yet had Nesses reached the other side, when
we entered a wood that no path had marked.
Not green leaves, but dark in colour, not smooth
branches, but knotted and twisted, no fruit was there,
but thorns and poison.
.....
I heard cries of woe on every side but we saw no
person uttering them, so that all dismayed I stood
still.

My belief is that he believed that I must believe
that so many voices, among those thickets, came
forth from people hidden from us.

Therefore, my master said: "If you break off some
little twig from one of these plants, the thoughts you
have will all be cut off."


I just picture this one and its quite stirring. It gives me chills even now.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Shopgirl



My personality mirrors Mirabelles way too much to be comfortable. Even though I had read this when it first came out, I fell in love again with Steve Martins storytelling. I love his writing!!! I really do. And I love that he gets it. I also think that what he writes about Mirabelle is a lot of what he see's in himself. And Ray, too. Steve Martin, I heart you.

Einsteins Dreams


In this book, which was more like short stories with a common theme, Einstein dreams about time. Beautiful philosophical dreams that created images in my mind I would never be able to create on my own.
I often wonderered what my dreams what be like if i could narrow it down to a common theme. Unfortunetly, I feel like an outsider in most of my dreams. Like I am walking into someone elses life, or like I am maybe a loner. Hmm...however, if it were a work of fiction and I didnt have to write what my dreams were actually about, then they would all be about love. Like my songs. My songs and poems and short stories are all always about love...always with that twist in the end. They are never "oh woe is I, you're leaving.." the end. Mine are more like "You're leaving, woe is I, but then whats this? Happiness is just around the corner, just make sure you dont miss that left..", or "i dreaming of you while you dream of me..." etc etc.

The Devil and Miss Prym



The Devil and Miss Prym. Re-read. One word, amazing.

The Monsters of Templeton


Ok, let me pose a question: Who doesn't like stories of the lockness monster. Right?
I was hoping that this would be a lot like that. WRONG.
Its about some pregnant chick who goes back home to find herself during her pregancy. And there is a monster in the neighborhood lake that had always been there...but it had died and thats just a back story. Like it'll be on the news or something, no biggie.
And so most of the book is the main character going through her genealogy..and her ancestors are the real monsters, not the one in the lake. I was a little dissapointed...

Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day



Joe Scarborough! Wow. I love this man, and I loved this book. It's mostly about government spending and the ridiculous things we spend money on, and the serious things we don't spend our money on.
I love Scarboroughs writing, I love his personality. He is to me what Jon Stewart is to everyone else. He is as funny, he is smarter, and I love how humble he can sometimes be, and how egotisical he can also sometimes be. Plus I love that he is addicted to Starbucks coffee. :)

Garden Spells



Eh, this one was ok. It was literally about garden spells, which is where it lost me.
Are you witches? Or what? What's going on? Why do you make people fall in love with each other by putting a certain flower in their dish? And who wants to eat something with a whole bunch of flowers in it, anyway?
The storytelling and the characters were likeable but the whole idea of garden spells just threw me a little.

Return of the King



While I was reading the Lord of the Rings, I was also watching the movies. But I made sure I didnt get too far in the movies. I only got as far as I had read. So I got to compare the movies and books pretty closely.
It didnt take me too long to read them and watch all of them. Maybe less than a month...um, by the time the 3rd movie was over, I had read all the books. And by the ending of the 3rd movie, I cannot remember a time when I had cried more. I wasn't just crying. I was a mess. I was sobbing. I dont know what came over me. But I went through a lot with these guys. I would get scared at night when Frodo and Sam were on their way to Mordor. I GOT NIGHTMARES. So yeah...I was pretty emotional. Its sort of embarrasing.
And Strider gets kinged! Can I say "kinged"? Crowned? Well, whatever. He is king and all is well.

The Two Towers



So...this book is amazing. Didn't know if you guys knew that or not. But there it is. Thought I would let you know in case you didn't.
Also, I <3 Strider.
I need that on a bumper sticker. Right now.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret


This book is probably the best kids book I have ever read. The characters, though, are not as good as the inspiration you get from reading/viewing this book.
Let me explain. The drawings throughout the book are phenomenal! Really amazing! Take a looksie!





The sketches are throughout the book..sometimes in rows of pages,sometimes in just one or two, so that it can sometimes turn into a picturebook.

Now, the theme of the book is an amazing one. A little boy living in a train station. He steals toys from the toy store so he can take the toys apart to help fix an automaton. The automaton is the only thing he has from when his father was alive. He gets caught stealing the toys from the store keeper and is forced to work there. The store keeper though, has a secret. A secret I will not reveal. But I will say that film also plays an important part of this book in a way I have never seen in another book and it was breathtaking. The book takes a close look of the work of Georges Melies. He was an amazing filmmaker and he was really the first filmmaker to use special effects. He was so creative and just utterly brilliant. Being a magician also helped him use the special effects in a way that had never been thought of before. This picture is from his film "A Trip to the Moon". The picture also plays an important part in the book!



If you flip through the book (highly recomended) you'll actually find this picture. Amazing and beautiful and quite moving. Never before have I read about the love of film in such a way...never before has it been captured like this.

Romeo & Juliet



I took this book with me back home to Los Angeles and read most of it on the plane trip.
When I opened up a newspaper on my return flight, a line was quoted from this very play. I gasped quietly. The line that the newspaper quoted was the exact line that I had last read where I bookmarked it.
You've gotta love that.

Fellowship of the Ring




Mhmmm, the love of Tolkien begins...after so many years. For the first time, I understood it all. For the first time, I loved it all.
In Fellowship, I fell in love with the Shire, and I fell in love with a hobbits love of simplicity.
In Fellowship I fell in love with the Rangers of the North and their love of the hunt.
In Fellowship I fell in love with Galadriel.
In Fellowship, I fell in love. :)

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay



Wow. What can I say? One of the best books Ive ever read, plus I was also introduced to an amazing character!! Joe Kalavier is his name, drawing is his game! Seriously though, I loved him. I dont know how to describe what his character meant to me, and what this book overall meant to me. Superheroes, art, love, magic, hope, loss...yes, it was an AMAZING Adenture!!!!!

A Thousand Splendid Suns


It only took me a few days to read this book. Beautifully written and what an amazing story. Khaled Hosseini is an amazing storyteller.
I know that the Kite Runner got a ton of press when it was released, but honestly, I prefer this one to the Kite Runner. I LOVED it!

Friday, March 14, 2008

After Hours



I had always wanted to read something by this author. :) And this one was a weird one to start with. The book is incredibly bizarre and it follows 3 seperate stories with a few coincidences. In one, a girl runs into someone she knows at a late night diner. She is just trying to read and he comes over to her table because he recognizes her as his ex girlfriends sister. They hit it off then someone needs to her to transalate something for someone in a love hotel and she spends the rest of the night there.
The other story line is the girls sister who is sleeping in room and it pretty much revolves around that only it gets really creepy.
And the third story line follows a business man.
The author has a BEAUTIFUL style of writing, but I couldnt get past the weird themes his storylines played around.
I would like to read something by him again, though.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Some People, Some Other Place




Mmhmm, ok. I picked this up because the picture on the cover of this book is probably one of my favourite photographs of all time. The street, the car. We used to have a 1949 Chrysler Highlander and I used to dream about it all the time. Not dream about it when I fell asleep, but wide awake. I would dream about a time in the 50's when this car would be around. I would wonder if James Dean ever saw this car, etc. Silly dreams like that. Yes yes, I love that picture. A week ago, I was in a bookstore cemeted to the poetry section and the man next to me had a pile of books. I look at him and asked to see a book in his stack without actually saying anything. His eyes said yes. The book in the stack was a book of photographs with this one of the cover.
And then he and I talked about photography for a little while. :)
This book however, came to me in a period where I immersed myself the civil rights movement without trying to. It was written really well though it bummed me out. It isnt something I would normally pick out for myself though...that darn cover moved me!

Life Of Pi


Oh Pi, it was lovely re-reading your adventure. Thank you.

Le Città Invisibili



Mmhm, this book was lovely. I felt like this book was more imagination than book. If I look back on this book, I remember images like dreams caught in the swirls of my imagination.
I must re-read this one. A chapter right before bed, see what happens.

On the Road



On the Road. Wow. Ok,I get that everybody in the book represents a real life person. The names are somewhat changed, yadayadayada. But what did Jack Kerouac see in Neal Cassady? If he was anything like Dean in the book...then I don't understand it. I thought he brought some life to the party, but he was out of his mind, wild, crazy and just extremly out there. Can a person really be that non-sensical?
I always felt really sad for the character Sal. To me, he had such potential and Dean was always sort of a bad influence.
The entire book was not lost on me, not in the slightest. I loved the actual "on the road" theme. I love the chapter where Sal is a cotton picker. I really loved that chapter, actually. But the book and the characters were just not something i could relate to in the slightest. :(

The Lost Diary of Don Juan



I read this one in April of last year. I picked it up because of Johnny Depp and the character he portrayed in the movie "Don Juan De Marco" I thought it was a very interesting subject. One man who is loved by many--and he is capitivated by one woman. I mean, it IS interesting.
The author did a good job with the character, but the one Johnny Depp portrayed will always be my favourite-if only for that part in the end when he tells the truth. Johnny Depp was remarkable in that scene--in that transformation. I love it!