Best of 2010: Movie Edition

While this list ended up being longer than I expected, it still isn't as substantial as I wanted it to be. To be fair, I'm extremely picky with newer films. Plus, all the stuff I usually go for are released around this time. And so, on this final day of the year, I conclude this series. Until this time next year... here are my choices for this year's best films:

Best of 2010: Book Edition

I regret to say that this list was unfortunately small to put together. I have read more older books this time 'round, I suppose.

Best of 2010: Album Edition

It's baaaaaaack!

Here we are folks, near the end of 2010. What a year! So much has gone on and things are only getting more intense. Let's break from the news for a moment to discuss music. It's been a very interesting year for the ear candy. For once, I actually listened to quite a bit of the new releases (egads!) so my list will actually be a bit bigger. Let's make it a top twelve!

Book Review: 10 of 24 (Ballard Rides Again)

High Rise
By J.G. Ballard
Wikipedia link (click here to buy it from England!)

(Fun fact: this book was my solitary goal in my book-searching quest over in the British Isles earlier this year. It was this book or bust. Found it in the Foyles on Charing Cross. Excellent store, six floors of book heaven.)

A long time ago, I cracked open a copy of Stephen King's Danse Macabre (which I sorta recommend, but that's a whole other kettle of fish) and went to the far back to read the recommended books list. The tome of horror's long-ass history listed High Rise and Concrete Island alongside The Exorcist and The Haunting of Hill House. After finding High Rise, and just now finishing it, of this trilogy that Ballard had (Crash, Concrete Island, and High Rise; all which hilariously enough I read in order) this one is definitely the most likely to represent future real life.

Godmother of Punk's Big Debut Rocks the House

Horses
by Patti Smith
Barnes & Noble link

Patti Smith wasn't about to enter the world of punk rock, and later be crowned the Godmother, with a quiet beginning. No, the Chicago native was going on strong, taking Van Morrison's classic "Gloria" and turn it into a rocking blues jam with injections of her poetry, beginning famously with "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine". While the album is crowned with the iconic yet minimalistic photo of Smith in casual work attire, photographed by the late and great Robert Mapplethorpe, Horses reveals to have more than what the cover shows.

Book Review: 9 of 24 (musician getting writing awards and stuff)

Just Kids
by Patti Smith
Barnes & Noble link 

(Fun fact: I read a chunk of this on an e-reader on display at my job, since I was supposed to stand there and demonstrate it for curious customers.)

A memoir can be more than just about the pen-holder. It can be about another, a person that had stood beside the author through the tumbles of life. Inspire them to do great things and become someone that ends up making history. That is what Patti Smith did in her memoir Just Kids, making it not only about her, but the famed photographer and best friend Robert Mapplethorpe.

Book Review: 8 of 24 (Holy Mackerel!)

The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University
By Kevin Roose
Barnes & Noble link

(Lordy, I waited too long to read this glorious tome. Hope not to do that for Rob Sheffield's newest book.)

There are times when you confront someone who has different beliefs than you and you wonder "what is it like to be them? And most importantly, are the stereotypes true?" Kevin Roose, instead of settling with stereotypes, decides to dive right into the world of evangelical Christians. The Unlikely Disciple is the chronicle of that adventure.

Book Review: 7 of 24

So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother)
by Micol Ostow with illustrations by David Ostow
Barnes & Noble link

(Note: this is one of four library books I need to get finish reading before the end of the month. Moral of the story: never borrow seven books at a time when you have at home 100+ of your own you need to read...)

Once in a while, in the young adult literature world, you stumble across a book that manages to capture what it's like being a teenager in its purest essence. The social pitfalls, the schoolwork, the dreams and dares. But what it does differently is it does it without making it vapid, you with the bookworm personality or the outcast who hasn't yet asked out the love of their life. Sure, it may also be in a framework that you didn't grow up in, but hey, it's neat to get a different perspective. So Punk Rock... is one of those books.

Book Review: 6 of 24 (this gets personal)

Amberville
by Tim Davys
Barnes & Noble link

(Note: I happened upon this book while browsing my favorite Tumblr blog, Libraryland. The moment its existence was made known to me, I had to go out and buy it. It needed to be in my life twenty minutes ago.)

Talk about unexpected surprises. Tim Davys, an anonymous figure from Sweden, threw a doozy at the literary world. Taking elements of Chandler and Hammett, adding a dash of whimsy, and added his/her/hir secret ingredient; Davys unleashed a quartet (so far, two of them are out). What is the secret ingredient, you ask? Stuffed animals. Yes. As in teddy bears, bunny rabbits, and elephants with cotton-filled tusks and trunks. Still with me? Good, because believe this: this whole concoction is a miracle and must be witnessed by all who enjoy books.

Book Review: 5 of 24 (damn, I need to catch up)

1984
by George Orwell
Barnes & Noble link

(This read was in celebration of Banned Books Week)

This is no underestimated, underground book. 1984, upon its release in 1949, changed pop culture. It added such phrases as "doublethink" and "Big Brother's watching you" into the lexicon. The notion of paranoia, of a government having control over everything from the media to how people are exposed to it, rings true for today. Especially in North Korea, where a totalitarian society, a living Oceania, currently reigns over its people.

Second Favorite Band of All Time continues to be awesome

Easy Wonderful
by Guster
Barnes & Noble link

(Fun fact: I preordered it from the band's official website, becoming the happy owner of one of the 500 autographed copies.)

Guster had been going strong for a long time, their first album Parachute coming out in 1996. Their last release Ganging Up on the Sun, which brought the world the lovely "Satellite" and the rocking "The New Underground", arrived in 2006. After that, there was an uncomfortable silence. Where did the boys from Cambridge go? Then early this year, they released "Jonah", for a Haiti charity album. Shortly after, happy news: their new album was due by the end of the year.

If you've been a longtime fan, already hearing the first single ("Do You Love Me") has gotten you a little worried. Wait, Guster was pretty level in its musical moods, but why the sudden burst of happiness? Oh no. What to do? Well, give it a shot and listen closely. You may be surprised on what you'll discover.

Overdue Reviews, Part 2

The Red and the Black
by Jerry Harrison
allmusic entry (please refer to your favorite legal digital music provider for clips and the sort)

While David Byrne faffed about with Brian Eno and Tom Tom Club (Talking Heads' rhythm section: Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth) made themselves a gold album, Jerry Harrison released his first solo album to little fanfare. Well with the influx (the albums were out within months of each other), one of those albums was bound to get lost in the hooplah. A shame though, because it is definitely not only worth checking out, but arguably one of the best albums to come from the decade of excess (and Teddy Ruxpin).

Book Review: 4 of 24

The Stepford Wives
by Ira Levin
Barnes & Noble link

(I read this on a whim while reading Stephen King's Danse Macabre, which mentioned the movie and the novel on the chapter about horror films. I finished it in less than two hours, go me. *fails to mention her vision is blurry as all-get-out*)

Ira Levin may not be much of a household name these days, but respectful horror nerds (of both the literary and film varieties) must acknowledge his footprints on this metaphorical frontier. He first brought the world Rosemary's Baby, a story so deep-rooted in modern culture that you don't have to see the film in order to understand why it scared the bejeebus out of everyone. It became a popular film, one in the lauded tower with others such as The Shining and Halloween. In 1972, he did it again. In the wake of women's lib taking on the world, he released The Stepford Wives. The book, unlike his last hit, wasn't much into grisly horror. It instead punched readers and viewers (once the film was released) with subtle, even paranoid, horror.

Book Review: 3 of 24

Piercing
by Ryū Murakami
Barnes & Noble link

(This was a library borrow. Two down, four to go. This also will be the last review that will be lacking quotes from the book, since I keep forgetting to do that.)

Ryu Murakami is no stranger to writing novels that will make readers squirm in their seats (please refer to Almost Transparent Blue, Audition [yes, that one], and In the Miso Soup... but with caution). Compared to the more popular Haruki Murakami and his surrealistic settings, Ryū Murakami could be almost the shock jock of modern Japanese literature, especially with his focus on sexual violence, drug addiction, and deviant behaviors. But calling Murakami (referring to the author of Piercing from this point on) that would be missing the point of his work. If readers looked past the violence and sexuality and drugs, they would discover something just as hideous as a growing pool of rich red blood: people can be terrible.

Overdue Reviews, Part 1

My Life In the Bush of Ghosts
by Brian Eno and David Byrne
Barnes & Noble link

*A long time ago, I posted this brief review (go to the near bottom) on the album. While, in a few words, it did sum up my initial feelings on the album, it wasn't enough to call it an actual review.*

Brian Eno and David Byrne had been working on the album, at least a few years, before its release in 1981. When it was unleashed onto the world, electronica music would have its solid foundation. Nothing like it was being done at the time. Eno and Byrne borrowed various samples, mostly from radio shows and old records, and created music around them. No other lyrics than what was said or sung on the tracks. The result was a feast for the ears.

Book Review: 2 of 24

Miracles of Life: An Autobiography
J.G. Ballard
Amazon link


(Quick backstory: I purchased this, along with several other Ballard novels, while I was in London a few months ago. My only regret was not buying Millennium People, since it is near-impossible to find in the States.)

After reading Concrete Island, the late J.G. Ballard gained a new fan in me. Upon learning that he had published a memoir, which was released one year before his death from prostate cancer, I made sure to track it down when I was in Europe.

Oh, look! A book review!

Imperial Bedrooms
Bret Easton Ellis
Barnes & Noble link

(A quick note before I begin: I am going to write 24 reviews for this blog, the 24 being the age I turn this year. A commemoration of 24 years of living. Cheesy, I know.)

Readers were first introduced to Clay and company in Less Than Zero, set in L.A. during the drug-and-champagne eighties. We watched as Clay wandered among his former pals, coming to a sudden realization that like him, we honestly didn't know what was going on.

A formal album review

Here Lies Love
by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim
Link to standard edition - Link to special edition

(the following review was based on the special edition, which included a DVD and a book)

Imagine this: the leader of Talking Heads and the guy responsible for songs like this one got together to make a concept album about one of Philippines' most historical political figures. Once you recover from the arduous brain power it took to consider such a reality, I present you with the result: Here Lies Love.

A super-delayed book review...

Bicycle Diaries
David Byrne
Barnes & Noble link (paperback coming this September!)

Talking Heads’ lead singer/guitarist David Byrne is no stranger to the publishing world. His earlier books go into conceptual art, especially in his last work Arboretum. If one would pick up his latest release Bicycle Diaries, one might get a jarring sensation. I mean, whoa, where did this come from? Where’s the art? Where’s the abstract thought? No worries, earlier Byrne readers. All that’s in there, but it is, as the Python boys famously said, “something completely different”.

Guess what? You get another review!

The Name of This Book is Talking Heads
Krista Reese
Amazon link

(Fun fact: I finished this book in about two hours, while waiting for an event that I was doing for my internship.)

Book review time!

Concrete Island
J.G. Ballard
Barnes & Noble link

I promised a review of this book and y'all shall get it!

A "so far..." review of "Silent Hill: Shattered Memories"

*WARNING - HERE BE SOME SPOILERS*