subway life, bringing down my own league of magic chins

[maribou]

Subwayland, by Randy Kennedy
Very short essays about various aspects and characters of the New York City subway system. They were originally columns in the NY Times, and I liked some of them a lot better than others. But the ones I liked, I really liked.
(40/200)

If Chins Could Kill, Bruce Campbell
Funny, fast-moving, and impeccably laid-out. Campbell is a natural storyteller rather than a gifted prose-smith, but his stories really worked for me. A lot of fascinating stuff about the behind-the-scenes aspects of moviemaking on a shoestring - gfish, I think you would get something out of reading this.
(41/200)

The Color of Magic, by Terry Pratchett
Okay, I had forgotten how weak I find most of the early Discworld novels. This wasn't a great book, too cluttered, too cutesy, no real depth - nothing like his later, much better stuff. However, it was fine for a gym book. Kind of like Robert Asprin only trying too hard.
(42/200)

The Game, by A.S. Byatt
There are few things that compel me the way an A.S. Byatt novel does. Deep and rich and terribly clever, but I still finished it in 2 days, because I had trouble putting it down. Her biology is at times questionable, but I don't mind because a) it's not that important to the story, and b) it was published back in the 70s or something, so some of it may've been an issue of when stuff was actually figured out. It's also rather a harsh novel - the characters are treated cruelly and some seem to find them less sympathetic than I did. I like her later works better but this one was still delicious.
(43/200)

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume 2, by Alan Moore
Hm. This was alright, but I wasn't as enthused as I was with the first one. This one had some great scenes, but the story as a whole didn't hang together as well.
(44/200)

Bringing Down the House, by Ben Mezrich
Interesting story of some MIT kids that were part of a blackjack counting operation (card counting isn't illegal, but the casinos hate it). Focuses on Kevin Lewis, one of said kids. Good story, fast read, nothing amazing, but it was fun and cleanly told.
(45/200)

The Stuff of Life, by Eric Widmaier
A short, molecule-by-molecule account of basic human physiology. Not much new here for me, but as a biology major, I didn't really expect there to be, I was just curious as to how he would present it. Quite acceptably done. No Bill Bryson, but engaging and readable. I bet he's a good teacher.
(46/200)

My Own Two Feet, by Beverly Cleary
The second volume of her memoirs, this covers the time between when she left for junior college and when her first book (Henry Huggins) was published. I really enjoyed this story - she writes so straightforwardly that one is left with a clear and solid impression of the past. Neat.
(47/200)

Comments

[dessiebaybee.livejournal.com]

I love Beverly Cleary's memoirs!

[maribou]

I want to read Girl from Yamhill now.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Bruce Campbell did a book signing at the Savannah Barnes and Noble for "If Chins Could Kill", and my little sister and I went. He's really funny in person and very nice. I didn't have money to buy a copy, but my little sister was buying one for my mom, so I went through to get it signed with my mom's name. He made conversation with my little sister about the word "squee", which she'd asked him to write, and he asked me about my mom's name (my middle name), Sybelle, since it's fairly unusual, then when I told him it was because of a romance novel being read at baby-naming time, he talked about how he named his daughter "Rebecca" after the duMaurier novel. All in all, he seemed like a great guy.

Also, I totally agree about the early Discworld novels. Re-reading them, I have to wonder how it was that I became so passionately devoted to the series; I think maybe it's that they're good, but the later ones are so much better.

[maribou]

I think they may improve significantly with each one because The Light Fantastic is already showing signs of improvement over TCOM. I really enjoyed your Bruce Campbell anecdote, that sounds exactly like what I thought he would be like. Have you read your mom's copy?