My Polysyllabic Spree -- Media Mixtape

One of my goals for this summer is to put a major dent in the overwhelming stack of books I currently have sitting beside the bed. If I’m being realistic, I have to say the probability of this happening is pretty small, but I prefer to remain optimistic. Alicia is understandably peeved about me buying new books when I still have 50 others that remain unread. The truth is, I really do intend on reading all of them eventually and soaking up the knowledge and enjoyment that they bring. Having the books close at hand somehow makes it seem more likely to happen, although in actuality, it may be barring the process by giving the impression that I can take as long as I want to read it.

In an attempt to motivate myself a bit, I thought I would attempt a post in the style of Nick Hornby’s Polysyllabic Spree, listing the things I’ve finished reading recently and discussing what’s next on my reading list:

Recently Read:

28 Weeks Later: The Aftermath - This is a cross-promotional graphic novel that hit stores around the same time that 28 Weeks Later was in theatres. It’s a lot better than you might think, with 4 separate stories filling in the blanks between 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, all penned by acclaimed comic writer Steve Niles. The only problem is that the stories are too short (a fifth chapter is included in treatment form only), and deal with different characters, preventing the reader from ever really getting involved.

Rant: The Oral History of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk - In some ways this is a fine return to form for Palahniuk, in other ways it’s a bit muddled and disappointing. I’d be curious to hear what hardcore Palahniuk fans think of it as it seemed a bit forced in my opinion, but it was still a quick and enjoyable read nonetheless. I posted a longer review of this book over on Film Junk for those interested.

Currently Reading:

Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business by David Mamet - If you’re not a film student, this probably sounds like a pretty stuffy book, but coming from the writer of such movies as Wag the Dog and Glengarry Glen Ross, it’s actually quite readable and funny. It flits between personal anecdotes, essays on how to make a good movie, and examinations of what’s wrong with Hollywood — mainly that pesky intersection between art and commerce.

Jennifer Government by Max Barry - I’ve been trying to get through this one for a while now, and I’m not sure why it’s taking me so long. (Maybe all those other books I’m trying to read at the same time.) It really is great so far, and totally up my alley. Max Barry’s writing style is witty and sarcastic, and his exaggerated near future world is surprisingly believable. I think if the book has a flaw, it may be that the premise is a little bit cooler than the actual execution.

Recently Bought:

The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture by Andrew Keen - This book just hit stores a couple days ago and I somehow magically stumbled across it without ever having heard of it. The title immediately beckoned to me though, as it clearly addresses the possible dangers of letting non-experts run the show via the democracy of the web. As a blogger and podcaster I’ve always been conflicted over the opportunities the web can create versus the large amount of crap that it facilitates. Sure I love taking part the the larger conversations going on out there, but I don’t want fanboys to control Hollywood, nor do I want Joe Blogger to overtake real journalism. Looking forward to diving into this and posting my thoughts afterward.

Where’s My Jetpack?: A Guide to the Amazing Science Fiction Future that Never Arrived by Daniel H. Wilson - Wilson previously wrote the book How To Survive a Robot Uprising, and although I never read it, everyone else seems to love it. As a sci-fi nut and self-proclaimed futurist though, I simply couldn’t resist his latest book, which examines old concepts of what the future would turn out like, compared to the disappointing reality of the present day. The illustrations and overall design of the book only add to the fun.

It’s a Guy Thing: Awesome Innovations from the Underdeveloped Male Mind by Scott Seegert - As some may know, I’m a fan of weird inventions, particularly ones that are completely trivial and useless. Seegert’s book collects some of the most ridiculous U.S. patents that have been submitted over the years, and hilariously dissects the warped mind that must have dreamed them up. The only thing missing is for someone to actually take the blueprints and try to build some of these messed up machines.

The Walking Dead Vol. 1 by Robert Kirkman - After reading the 28 Weeks Later graphic novel I was in the mood for more zombie comics, and this is supposed to be the grandaddy of ‘em all. I had actually been meaning to check out this series for a while now but never got around to it. The good news is that if I end up liking it, there are like 6 more volumes waiting in the wings.

I noticed today that DVD Profiler 3.0 was out and I decided to download it and give it a try. It turns out the program has been taken over by a different company and the newest version is no longer free. I only realized this after spending a good half hour trying to get the damn thing to recognize my old registration key, which of course is no longer valid. You can still continue to use the old version free of charge, but personally I think I’m going to try importing my database into MediaMan instead. On the other hand, there may be some new features in DVD Profiler 3.0 that actually make it worth the $30 price tag. The one advantage DVD Profiler has over all the other cataloguing programs is a user-built database instead of relying on Amazon and other retail sites for data.

Alicia and I booked our flight to England this week… we’ll be travelling in September, which should be a nice change of pace from our usual habit of travelling during the dead of summer. The trip will be about 9 days, give or take, so now it’s time to build a decent itinerary to make sure we hit all the stuff we want to see. I think we’ll try to see some of Scotland too, although an investigation into my Irish roots will be a bit too far off the beaten path for this particular trip. All I know is Stonehenge is a must see for me… I don’t care how lame and touristy it is. If it’s good enough for Spinal Tap, it’s good enough for me!