2007 Brain Dump- Post One

2007.

Books (not in order)-

Underworld, Don DeLillo-

Fantastic, complex, appealed to my contemporary nerdy lit side. However, still on my re-read list because it was a rushed college read (she assigned 200 pages a night, there's no way I got everything out of it). It's a fresh take on a very tired subject- critique of the 21st century. I generally am turned off by straight forward 'anti capitalist conspiracy theory' books (because that's been said and done for years). This reads more like a quilt of history and the present. Good stuff.

White Noise, Don DeLillo-

Underworld inspired me to read this one, which is his more famous novel. Enjoyable, but a more simplified and straightforward approach to the same messages in Underworld. If you have the time, read Underworld instead.

Absurdistan, Gary Shteyngart

Hilarious and grotesque. In more ways than one. Fat man protagonist, oil companies, everything American from an outside perspective.

Naked, David Sedaris

More of the same stuff, but I loved it. If you're between books always pick up David Sedaris, because it never fails you.

After Dark, Haruki Murakami

This is a Murakami snack book. Delightful if you enjoy his style, but not a good book to start with if you've never read anything else by him.

Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Haruki Murakami

Dreamlike, magical, scary, all things Murakami. Lose your head in this, it's fantastic. Maybe not a good starter book though if you've never read any.

Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko

This was a class read as well, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Pretty dark, but beautiful style. 21st Century American Indian protagonist, but a little more magic than a straight forward 'tragic struggle in America' novel. Quick read as well :)

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer

Beautiful. I avoided this one for quite a while because I had never been able to get past the third chapter in Everything Is Illuminated (goal for 2008). Also because of the blurb on the back cover which claims it a novel about a young boy whose father died in 9/11. The topic made me cringe, I hate sappy novels about recent tragedies. Oh my goodness I was so wrong. This novel is beautiful, straight up the best one I read this year. I cried so many damn times and the novel isn't sappy at all, it's just beautiful. Jonathan Safran Foer is a wonderful writer, I have to give Everything Is Is Illuminated another shot. Very funny at points too, you have to read this.

The Waves, Virginia Woolf

Ahh, it'd been a while since I've tackled her. To the Lighthouse was one of the reasons I chose to be an English major in the first place. It's just so easy to get lost in the swirl of her text, also it never fails to pull you somewhere dark. The Waves was a perfect way to get back into it, and as always it's dark. This was of course a class read, which was good, I think that she's best read in groups because there are always approaches and subtleties that I miss on first read. If anyone wants to read another of hers with me in 2008, I'd love to pair up and talk about it. Damn I'm going to need a 'book club' and then I'll really be a fucking middle-aged yuppie :)

You Shall Know Our Velocity!, Dave Eggers

Everyone I've talked to about this one said "not his best," and immediately started praising Hearbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Well, I'm about 2/3 through that one, and while enjoyable I think I liked this one better. Two male protagonists, slacker assholes traveling the world trying to give away money. I don't know why this appealed to me so much, but I think I identified with the idea of trying to be a world saver but not really knowing how to approach that without looking like a condescending asshole. Also a great glimpse of the world through 'uneducated' American eyes.

Well, there were more, many class reads, but there were the ones that stuck in my mind.

A tribute to the books I started in 2007 and put down at some point (generally after 2-3 chapters).

Invitation to a Beheading, Nabokov
Oh Pure and Radiant Heart, Lydia Millet
Master and Margarita, Bulgakov
Gulag, Anne Applebaum
Love in the Time of Cholera, Marquez

Maybe in 2008.

MUSIC (my top artists that I got into in 07)

Friend Opportunity, Deerhoof
Spazzy, catchy, conducive to head bobbing... perfect Meghann music.

This was the year of Sufjan Stevens for me. I saw him at the Paramount in February and it was absolutely magical. I love everything and I do not get sick of it.

I also finally got into Neko Case and she became a shower song standard almost immediately.

Along with everyone else in the known universe, I also really got into Beirut because it's exciting and there are a lot of instruments.

St. Vincent, lovely voice, can't wait for more.


MOVIES

I really loved Paprika (thanks Beth and Matt!). I also watched the series Samurai Champloo, which I want to rewatch marathon style soon. It made me cry, it was my first anime series. I guess this makes me a real geek now (because I wasn't already before...). I also really really loved The Darjeeling Limited because it is colorful and emotional and hilarious. Good stuff.

More later, time to clean and write thank you notes :)