media update: October

Well, I’m back from Iceland, bruised and broke and incredibly unhappy to be back at work, but otherwise I’m all right. Entries on my trip are forthcoming, but I want to upload some pictures first.

Asterisks denote something I particularly enjoyed or found especially worthy of my time; your mileage may vary.


FICTION


1. Remains Silent by Michael Baden and Linda Kenney: So-so forensic thriller.

2. Faithless* by Karin Slaughter: When a detective literally trips over the site where a young woman was buried alive, it opens up a big ol' can of worms in this tense thriller. Now that Patricia Cornwell's lost her touch, Karin Slaughter is poised to take over her throne.

3. User I.D. by Jenefer Shute: A woman falls prey to identity theft after her rental car is stolen. Only mildly diverting, but it made me put a paper shredder on my Target list immediately.

4. April Shadows by V.C. Andrews: Why do I keep reading these damn trashy-ass books? The chick's been dead for years, and "she" writes like it too.

5. The Pact* by Jodi Picoult: A deeply engrossing story of an apparent suicide pact between two teenagers, the ensuing murder trial of the surviving teenager, and how the families must struggle to survive and forgive.

6. What Do You Do All Day?* by Amy Scheibe: An uncommonly funny and incisive story about a woman who finds herself wondering what she may have given up in the process of trying to be the perfect mother. The storyline takes a few predictable turns along the way, but eh, I forgive it.

7. Diary of a Married Call Girl by Tracy Quan: The sequel to Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl finds our heroine trying to hide her hooking from her husband. It drags in parts, and it’s a major cocktease as far as certain salient plot points, but it has its moments and parts of it got me very aroused.

8. Birth of Venus* by Sarah Dunant: A young woman in Renaissance Italy longs to be a painter among the turmoil of Savanarola’s religious fanaticism. Beautifully written.

Read so far this year: 54



NON-FICTION


1. Playground* by Jennifer Selignor: Okay, it's not well-written, but it's still a juicy, fun read. The author's father was Hugh Hefner's personal physician in the 70's, and she practically grew up in the Playboy Mansion. Lots of sex, name-dropping, drugs, and monkeys make this a trashy delight.

2. Don't Try This At Home by Dave Navarro and Neil Strauss: Various essays on fame, sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, coupled with pictures taken in the photo booth Navarro has in his home. Meh, although the chapter on Angelyne (I still won't feel like a true Californian until I have an Angelyne sighting) is worth a skim.

3. Why Do Men Have Nipples?* by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg: A highly amusing and very informative book with answers to all the questions you’ve always had (why does poop float, is sperm fattening, etc.) but couldn’t bring yourself to ask.

Read so far this year: 45



MANGA


1. Yoko Matsumoto's Mystery Shojo Collection

2. Darling* vols. 1-3 by Yuki Yoshihara

3. Weiss Side B vols. 1-2 by Takehito Koyasu and Shoko Ohmine

4. Socrates in Love by Kyoichi Katayama

Read so far this year: 100



MOVIES


1. A History of Violence*: Terrific thriller about an unassuming man in a small town who may have a big secret up his sleeve. Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello are both great (and have an incredibly erotic 69 scene together), although an unrecognizable William Hurt chews the scenery so thoroughly you'd think it was made of rich, creamy nougat.

2. Audition: Holy fucking...whoa. One of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen. It's a Japanese film about a lonely widower who sets up an audition for a nonexistent movie in hopes of finding a new wife. One of the women who tries out catches his eye, and that's all I'm going to say about that. If the hobbling scene in Misery was much too tame for you, then this is your kind of film.

3. Shanghai Noon: G made me watch this, but it was actually really enjoyable. Don't tell him I said so.

4. Corpse Bride: Visually stunning---I'm a huge fan of stop-motion animation (especially the Brothers Quay)---but the constant gags of body parts falling off and death puns got tiresome.

5. Bewitched: Hey, when you’re on a plane and it’s too loud to sleep and you have nothing to read, what else are you going to do? Well, you could drown yourself in the toilet, for one thing.

Seen so far this year: 39