Ape's 2011 Challenge (5)

Prequel
Thread #1 (Book 1)
Thread #2 (Book 2)
Thread #3 (Books 3-5)
Thread #4 (Books 6-10)

Books Read: 13
Pages Read: 3,808

January:
1. Wave of Terror by Theodore Odrach
2. Southern Storm by Terri Blackstock
3. The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford
4. The Medical Detective by Sandra Hempel
5. Biohazard by Ken Alibek

February:
6. The Atlantic Sound by Cary Phillips
7. The Killers Within by Michael Shnayerson
8. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
9. Book of Clouds by Chloe Aridjis
10. Victorian Painting by Julian Treuherz

March:
11. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
12. Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum
13. Vampire Haiku by Ryan Mecum

Yes, I found you again. You can run, but you cannot hide!

That was a compliment! I'm saying you are more human than robot (by just a little) but the GPS is just a robot with a human voice. You may be related, but definitely not the same. :P

Ah, OK. Thanks for the clarification - I think ;)

Good morning, sir.

Just checking in to see what everyone is stalking talking about this morning. Hope you're having a great Saturday, Stephen!

Hey Kath, Luxx, and Laura! :)

Good news: I'm loving Perdido Street Station so far!

Bad news: I might not finish it for a very long time.

*Ahem* You see, I finished Wet a couple days ago. It really wasn't a very good game, very lackluster. But I finished it, and am now playing...

*sigh*

Fallout: New Vegas. Another of my sister's games. It's big. REALLY big. My sister says she has 50 hours of gameplay on it and still hasn't finished it (she's stuck, so she has Prototype and Borderlands to play.) The game is giant. And immersive. And addicting. Very bad for me.

Plus, Perdido Street Station itself is 600+ pages.

Soooo, it looks like I'll be spending a lot of time in New Crobuzon and New Vegas, and might not be leaving either any time soon.

Ok, this is probably going to sound very silly, but ... you can finish video games? How?

My only experience with gaming is through my hubster, who plays games like Counterstrike, World of Warcraft, Team Fortress 2, and a war-like game that looks like a better-animated version of Counterstrike. There is no end in sight for any of those, unless you count inevitable boredom.

Luxx: Many games have a storyline (or main storyline) that you can complete, but there are usually endless 'extras.' Most games also have Multiplayer components, which don't end but are just a way to play endlessly with friends.

For example, Killzone 2 is a 'shooter' where you invade an alien planet. I 'finished the game' in 6 hours, but if I could play multiplayer, the game would never end, essentially, because I could play endlessly online.

Also, there are Online games that don't have an end as well. World of Warcraft is one of those. In WoW, you just plop yourself into a big world and play to your heart's content. There really isn't a way to finish it, considering there are always updates and whatnot.

Most console games have a story mode that ends though, with endless multiplayer components, that sounds like the war-like games Mike plays.

So yes, games end. I've finished several over the past couple months (Prototype, Darksiders, Dark Void, God of War III, Borderlands, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and Puzzle Quest.)

Fallout: New Vegas is practically endless though.

Oh wait, I forgot to mention. I'm assuming Mike plays his games on a computer? Computer games have a much higher tendency to be endless, because more people can connect and play online than console games.

Oh, and 'arcade' games tend to be endless too, simply because they don't have storylines (Think Wii Sports/Wii Fit and the like...)

I'm glad you're liking Perdido Street Station! Mieville's one of my favorites.

It's very good. Big books like this make me nervous. It can take me a couple hundred pages to realize I'm not liking a book, and I hate getting that deep into a book and realzing I don't want to read the other 400+ pages, but then feel like I've been wasting my time reading the first couple hundred.

Fortunately this is looking fantastic! In fact, I haven't played Fallout once today. The book is winning over the game, yippee! :)

Hi Stephen. I played my first computer game in years in January. It was an adventure/puzzle game for the computer, single player, so it definitely had an end to it. Very fun pirate theme. Now on my second, which is not quite as well put together, but still fun, Egyptian, Cleopatra time. They are time sink-holes!

Hey Berly! I don't play a lot fo the puzzley games, when it comes to computer games I like the real-time strategy types. So addicting. In those, you start a game on a huge map as a small city, with a town center and perhaps a few villagers, and you try to build up you city and build your economy and build an army and all that, with all sorts of ways of winning the game. You can be all militaristic and build a strong army, or economic and build great wonders or collect artifacts, all the while you're on this huge map with lots of other players, so every game can turn out completely different.

Sometimes you get a bunch of militaristic crazies bombarding eachother with wave after wave of army unites, and in others you get a group of people racing eachother to build walled cities and wonders. You just never know what's going to happen. I always seem to play as a 'conquering' type. I build walls and be defensive while amassing a huge, crippling army, and then try to take out my enemies in one fell swoop. >:)

And there are all sorts of different settings too! History, mythology, fantasy, science fiction!

Ah...sorry, books and games, usually best not to get me talking about those. I can go on and on. :)

#13: The book is winning over the game, yippee!

Good! I know what it is like to get involved in those games though. I really have to stop myself from playing beyond an hour a day. I get entirely too wrapped up in the games if I allow myself to.

Stasia: Definitely, books and games are both realy time-eaters. Of course, I always feel guilty when I'm focusing more on games than books. :(

#17: I always feel guilty when I'm focusing more on games than books

I try not to do that. There are some days when I just cannot concentrate on the books and am into the games more.

What a silly thing to be feeling guilty about. Books are very patient, and they do not mind at all if you set them aside to do something else that gives you pleasure.

Stasia: Definitely. I don't consider reading a chore, but sometimes it's nice to take a 'break.'

These console games nowadays are really absorbing too. I'm currently playing a post-apocalyptic game where I can wonder about wherever I feel like. I'm interacting with characters fluently and my actions in the game actually have significant consequences. I'm finding myself really 'getting into character.' I'm wondering about this game world imagining I'm really there, making choices as I would if I were really put in that situation. I see an abandoned town and really wonder if I should walk into it, fearing it could be occupied by bandits (or it could have been rapidly evacuated and filled with water bottles and food to help sustain my character.) It's incredibly immersive.

Kath: Yeah right! They are always clamouring for my attention. "Stephen. Stephen! Read me, reeeaaad meeeee!" You might say that is merely my own inner thoughts being projected onto inanimate objects, but no! I'm perfectly sane, and books are impatient. :P

#20: Which game is it you are playing now, Stephen, and what platform?

Stephen- Thanks for correcting me on your opinion on Cellist. I hadn't seen your review before I posted. Glad you LOVED it! I'm also glad you are enjoying Perdido Street Station. I'll have to move that one up the stacks.
I recently finished one you might like, The Windup Girl. Good stuff! Have a good Sunday!

Stasia: It's called "Fallout: New Vegas" on the Playstation 3. It's the sequal to Fallout 3, which I played awhile back. They take place in a sort of retro-futuristic 1940's-ish America after a nuclear war obliterates...well, just about everything. In both games you are out wandering the wasteland, just trying to make sense of things!

There was an experience I had in Fallout 3 that I think I'll always remember. Usually the most memorable sequences in games are the big boss fights or a crazy/interesting puzzle or some such, but in this case I was just wondering "in character" when I came across a relatively in-tact grocery store. I love post-apocalyptic fiction, and one of my favorite things about it is the 'scavenging' aspect. So I practically squeed with joy at the thought of scavenging a grocery store for water/food! Of course, it was occupied by a not-too-friendly group of people who didn't take too kindly to me barging through the front door. :)

*Ahem* See? Need to stop talking about video games. And now I want to play Age of Mythology. Not going to install it, no, not going to...nope... *Eyes the case, a mere foot or two away* Noooo...

Hey Mark! I've been wanting to read The Windup Girl but my library doesn't own a copy yet. At least, I don't think. *Checks* Nope. :(

10/11 - Yes, Mike is a computer gamer; we have a PS3, but I think the only game it's every played is, er, Translyvania? Really oldschool, apparently.

And thanks. ;)

Sorry...can't talk right now. Have to go find the ingredients to make a potion so I can trick the guardian to Thoth's temple and find my missing girlfriend. (Look, in the game I am a guy, just work with me on this!) ; ) My husband love to play Spore. Have you tried that one Stephen?

Luxx: Hm, Castlevania? Indeed, I never got into the games, simply because they've been around for so long and I don't know the 'lore' and whatnot. *Shrug*

Berly: Spore! I wanted to play it so bad when it was first released, but unfortunately my computer is crap and my video card won't support it. The same is true for Titan Quest, which I unfortunately found out after I purchased. *Looks at box sitting inside his desk* ... *Sniff* I'll play you some day...

I installed and played Age of Mythology today and it's all your guys' fault! ...

26 - Yup, that sounds right. It's a "Son of Dracula" type nonsense that Michael apparently enjoyed as a kid, so when he saw it on the PS3 he couldn't resist. ;)

I'll stick to Dracula nonsense.

#23: The game sounds cool. I wonder if it is available for the Wii? Off to check. . .

If I have no reading to report next week it is going to be all your fault you know!

hmmm he is also at fault for making me spend a fortune on a PS3 320 for one of my sons. He loves games and really wanted one for a long time. So Cory is giving him all of the games he has already played, and I am giving him the... box.
He will be mad but he will get over it pretty quickly when he plugs it in.

Spore's graphics and ideas were really good. . . but I got bored fast. Which really confused me since everyone was all about that game for a while.

I try to stay away from video games until I'm off for the summer as I will lose entire days to them. Repeats to self: I will not give in and get the new Dragon Age II.

Luxx: Hehe, yes, I think that is the general idea of the Castelvania games, but I'm not sure. And I still haven't read Dracula. I keep telling myself I'm gonna, but then never do. :(

Stasia: Most definitely not. This is a 'shooter' (sort of) game with very high-definition graphics and all that. The Wii wouldn't be powerful enough to play it, I'm afraid.

Kath: Neato! For a second there I thought you said you spent a fortune on a PS3 for yourself! A very funny image popped in my head, I won't deny it, involving you with a video game controller in your hands and Dorito stains on your shirt. :P How absurd...almost like ME reading a book on Victorian art. :P

Katie: Yeah, I remember reading that a lot of people were a little disappointed that it wasn't as "open" as it first seemed. I think it was all the hype about the creature creator thing that gave it so much buzz.

Michelle: Dragon Age! I never did play Origins, but it looked so good. Probably for the best though, it sounds like one of those life-suckers....

All this talk about Video Games is making my head hurt...I don't think i have ever played one (Look at the Luddite! Look at the Luddite!) and , well, feel sort of "left out"....

.......I'll get over it

;-}

Don't feel left out; it all is going way over my head too. Playing Guitar Hero a few times is about the extent of my gaming experience unless you count Carmen Sandiego and Oregon Trail in elementary school. :o)

For some reason, I always thought gamers would never be readers? Maybe because so many games are life suckers and people have a hard time fitting anything else in... :) But Stephen you have proven me wrong and that a gamer can also LOVE reading. There is hope for a balanced life! I shall have to subtly let my husband know this.....

i played 1.5 on my computer... a few months ago. Not really interested in them....

Okay, I've set some sort of (bad) personal record. I was away from LT for over a week and I missed your thread #4 entirely! I just found it and skimmed/read most of the posts...laughed out loud a few times too.

Anyway, I'm all caught up again for now. Sorry to hear about your dead CD player. Hope you can find some fairly cheap replacement to tide you over. Loved the Toy Story references on the last thread. And the zombie shoes. :)

Jude: Aw! Don't feel left out. Shooting things and running over prostitutes isn't for everyone. :(

Rachel: I've never played Guitar Hero myself. I tend to enjoy shooting things and running over prostitutes.

Valerie: Oh sure, I consider video games way more cognitively demanding than, say, watching TV. Or movies. You need to memorize which buttons do what, and what combinations of buttons do what, there are puzzles to solve and the action games require very quick reactions. To be able to see something happen to respond not only quickly but precisely entering the correct sequence of buttons, can really be quite impressive.

I don't know why people view video games as 'childish,' as compared to...staring at the tv for hours watching...??? Both require sitting and staring, but video games really get the brain-cogs churning.

So yes, hurray for video-game-playing book readers. :)

Kath: Hmmm, dunno which game you are talking about, but clearly you need to play Doom. :P

(Joking, don't play it...)

Hi Angela, missed you! I'm glad you are here now. It doesn't look like I have anything to replace it with for now. I do have one of those old portable cd players, but I don't have batteries. D'oh!

If we lived closer I'd toss you over some good ol' (and cheap!) rechargeable batteries, but my arm isn't strong enough to throw across state lines. ;)

I have to admit I'm horribly envious & jealous of all of this video game talk. Apart from playing Wii Sports & Guitar Hero once, I haven't regularly played video games since Sega Genesis was revolutionary. My parents still have it, and the original Nintendo, and they still play them. I have logged some serious hours playing Sonic, several Mario Bros., and my pinky fingers are seriously permanently curved from playing Tetris and Jeopardy on Nintendo in marathon sessions. Every other year or so I'll borrow one of them and hook it up at my house when I feel like I need to escape all of the adult-ness of Real Life.

All "gaming" I do now is courtesy of bigfishgames.com - $7 a month - and I can lose a few hours at a time on a hidden object game easily. The only other online kind of gamey thing I do is play free jigsaw puzzles on jigidi.com while I'm listening to people talk at me on the phone.

I would love love LOVE to get one of them fancy newfangled PS3's, or a Kinect, or even a Wii. Hell, I've had a Nintendo DS on a wishlist for about 3 years now and I probably won't ever get one til they're waaaaaay out of date. Hm, kinda like the Genesis perhaps?!? :) Video games are great, can certainly be a life-sucker. I feel like I'm ancient and so out of touch (Jude, I'll keep you company in the Luddite parade) and I'm 32. Stephen, I game vicariously through you.

While mystery/puzzle games are more my wheelhouse, I'd love to shoot things and run over prostitutes. :)

Laura, you can find free online shooters. I, being one who sucks at shooters, haven't tried any of them, but this article-thingy lists a few. I'm sure you can find others too. A site I like is Gamehouse.com. They have lots for free and a daily free download (of their choice). I also like Kongregate. I haven't spent a lot of time there yet, but they have a good variety of genres including shooters.

Oh there is NOTHING more sexy than a man button hacking....haha. My husband takes pride in his ability to so call manipulate those button combos with "finesse and skill". I on the other hand, tend to walk away with calluses on my fingers from randomly pressing too hard. I think I prefer strategy/role playing games over the shooting games since most of the time they have a more indepth storyline to them, unless I'm in a pissed mood, then running prostitutes over and or decapitating zombies does sound rather tempting. ;)

I totally lack in the dexterity for button mashing and get seriously confused if I'm required to push more than one button. However, all this gaming talk has me itching to pull out Lego Star Wars for my Xbox. Games aimed at 8 year olds. That's where I rock out. ;)

The only time I got confused with buttons was when I went from PS2 to Xbox360. . . . and the x button is not in the same place

I tend to go more for the role playing Fable, Oblivion, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Fallout. I like fantasy/SF books too, so I think it's a natural fit. (The Lego games are fun! I have the Lego Indiana Jones.)

*waves* Hi Stephen! Oh, I've logged some serious hours watching my boyfriend play video games- he loved fallout.

Angela: That's ok, I don't think I want to try to catch batteries flying at me from that distance anyway. :P

Laura: I love old Nintendo, but I'm not particularly fond of them post-Nintendo 64. The Nintendo DS, however, is fantastic. All the games I have for it, or at least most, I have played obsessively, for innumerable hours.

The newfangled games are MUCH different than they used to be. They are much bigger, much more complex (you aren't just running left-to-right and hopping over gaps), and they aren't as easy to just jump into as they used to be. They take awhile to get the hang of because they are so complex there is a lot to learn, but that just gives them more depth.

The DS, though, as plenty of fun side-scrolling and other simple-type games. LOVE LOVE LOVE New Super Mario Bros. :)

Katie: Wah! *Can't play online games* :(

Valerie: Oh yes, I'm a huge fan of role-playing games as well. I don't play a lot of strategy on consoles, but strategy/RPGs are about the only type of games I play on my computer. Whether it's a real-time strategy game like Age of Mythology or a dungeon crawler like Diablo II.

Mickyfine: Hehe, hey, those Lego games are actually pretty popular. I've never played any of them though, because I don't watch movies much so I don't know the source material. I think there is Lego Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Batman? And Harry Potter, but I remember many of the reviews for that were pretty bad, and I never liked the Harry Potter games I played.

Katie: Yes! I made the mistake of playing my (MUCH) younger cousin in Madden on his Xbox and getting destroyed, simply because I didn't know the button layout. It's no fun getting beat by a 11 year old in front of everyone. :P

Michelle: Definitely, RPGs are a favorite of mine too...it just seems like there aren't a whole lot of them out there nowadays. The worlds they make are so vast, it seems to take forever for game makers to build them.

I'll be playing Final Fantasy XIII as soon as my sister gets done with it though. :)

Hey Tamara. Hehe, games can be fun to watch nowadays. I must say though, it's a whole different experience playing them. My sister always liked the Silent Hill games, and she would be playing them and she would be totally freaked out. I'd raise my eyebrow and say "It's just a game, walk down the hallway already!"

Then I started playing Silent Hill: Homecoming. OMG #$%@! SCARY!!!!!

:P

Hi there Stephen!

So... excited for the 3DS? 'Cause I'm jumping out of my socks for that one. Fangirl squeals FTW.

But, uh... whatcha reading these days?

Hmmmm....50 messages about video games? Doesn't anyone play Scrabble anymore?

Hi Linda!

Faith: Mmmm, not sure. I'm very unenthusiastic about 3D anything. My stance is, I'd rather have a super-detailed 2D image instead of a blurry/plain 3D one. I'd more more excited if there was an HDS (High Definition DS?)

But, I'm very interested in seeing what it looks like. 3D...WITHOUT glasses? Hmmmm, I'm very curious.

I'm reading Perdido Street Station right now and loving it. But the looks of it I won't be finishing a book on this thread though, because it's so large and I'm also playing Fallout: New Vegas right now...

Hi Donna. Scrabble requires "other" people, so absolutely not! :P

Well, as much as I dislike 3D movies or TVs... this is Nintendo, and their recent track record shows they do things VERY WELL and they GET IT RIGHT. So I'm pretty darn excited, especially because of the NO GLASSES thing. Heck, YES. I heart Nintendo.

You could play online Scrabble which is a lot of fun, Stefano.

Yeah, there are some Scrabble-esque games on Facebook and whatnot. Best of all: you can play by yourself! :) I do it all the time. (sticks giant L on forehead)

#51: I still play Scrabble. And have about 300 other board games to play as well. I love the things.

where does one store 300 board games?
I have scrabble and two others...
but like Stephen.. it is hard to find players.

#57: I have a cabinet they are stored both in and on most of the time. They have been displaced at the moment by books as I try and organize my library though.

Faith: Mmmm, I'm not huge on Nintendo right now. At least, I'm not huge on their console. But I am a Nintendo fanboy when it comes to their handhelds. :)

Caro: Slow internet = no facebook (or many other online games) for me. Most absurdly, I can play Runescape fine, which is a fairly labor-intensive game. *Shrug*

Sara: Wait, wouldn't a computer-controlled player like...ummm, have access to a built-in dictionary? Unfair!

Stasia: 300!? My goodness, you could cause some serious damage to a Persian army with a collection of that size. :o

Kath: I'm wondering the same thing, especially if she already has a house full of books...

Stasia's house is like the Tardis--bigger on the inside.

Hehe, and I saw what you did there with 300. Clever, clever ;P

Yeah, I will challenge those Persian's any time :)

Katie: Tardis? Himm, well, her wishlist is a figurative blackhole, maybe her house is a literal one!

Stasia: Oooh! To which game?

Hmmm...

Stasia the Robot Vs. The Persian Army: Yahtzee Death Match Pt. 1!"

(Disclaimer: Event organizers are not responsible for any stained or ruined personal items of those seated within the 'splatter zone.')

I do not own Yahtzee. The Persians would have to bring their own copy of that one.

Persian Yahtzee? Something like:

Looks good! I cheat though.

Board games are only fun when you're drinking (ok, when I'm drinking), and there's none of that going on these days!

I don't personally find gaming all that entertaining, but nearly all of my friends game in one way or another so I know the draw is there.

I had to explain the term "WoW Widow" to one of my classes last week.

Stasia: Robotic analytical brain power and sneakiness, Persia is dooooomed!

Luxx: I really wish I could play WoW but my connection is just too slow. Probably for the best though, you all would never see me again if I ever got into it.

I play online scrabble with my sister every day, on a site called wabble.org. You can just go on there and set up a game and wait for someone to play with you, or you can join someone else's game, or you can set up your own private game, which is what we do. It is very easy to use. It is a good solution for scrabble lovers who don't live with other scrabble lovers.

See? My thread continues to be educational. Hmm, it's interesting that an online game has a .org address... that must be some fancy scrabblin'!

Hi Stephen *waving*

Books and board games seem to go together. Thank goodness we don't need to find someone to read with...

Joanne: Indeed! I've never been very proactive in looking for a 'life partner,' but if reading required a buddy I'd be whoring myself out all over the internet, I think. "sexbook addict here, will sleepread with anyone!!!"

Ahem, deary me yes, good thing reading can be done alone. Phew!

Wah! I'm not getting much reading done. Video game is winning now. :(

I'm not even 1/3rd of the way through Perdido Street Station. Only 400 pages to go... ... ...

WEIRD PREGGO DREAM:

You .... came to my house to hang out.

You were sitting at the table with my men and I; you and I were talking about bad horror movies while one was playing in the background, and you and Michael were talking about some game or another that he was playing on a laptop.

Wow, what a strange coincidence, Luxx! I, nor anyone in my immediate family, have ever had a laptop. Yesterday my mom bought her first one ever, and I was walking her through how it works, and played a video game on it while I was at it. Interesting!

(The game was called Plants Vs. Zombies)

I'm honored to have made an appearance in one of your weird preggo dreams, Luxx. *Bows courteously*

I'm psychotic psychic.

And oh, I'm well familiar with Plants vs. Zombies. Another one that Michael plays around with... ;)

All I can say is, I don't want zombies on my lawn.

Plants vs. Zombies is super addictive. . . . just saying

Luxx: That or your Mango is. :o

Faith: I dunno, it beats gnomes and pink flamingos...

Katie: DEFINITELY! I seriously want to play the game right now. I was looking to download it, but unfortunately it seems you have to pay for the full version. :(

For whomever brought up Dragon Age II a bajillion posts back. . . . Go here. New Felicia Day web series.

And I'm sorry, Stephen, that your internet is too lame for it. You'd prolly really enjoy her work, games + comedy. Someday when the internet fairy comes to your abode and grants you a speedy connection, you should look it up.

>79 katelisim: Tee hee! Luckily, this web series isn't coming out until this summer or else it would totally cause me to break down and get Dragon Age II now.

son likes gift. :) i did good!

Stephen, FYI they are doing a Walking Dead marathon. of season I on Friday March 4 at 8 p.m. they are adding some other material to it. Didn't know if you were interested in reruns.

Yes! The mango is psychic!

Katie/Michelle: Not listening lalalala! I think I only have access to, maybe, 2 percent of the entire internet. *rolls eyes*

Kath: Good...I hope he doesn't read, because if he does he won't be doin' much of it in the near future. ;)

I did manage to get an extra 6 pages in a little bit ago... *sigh*

Cindy: Thanks for letting me know. I almost forgot I was eagerly anticipating season 2...D'oh!

Luxx: Mhmmm, although 'psycho mango' has a ring to it....

Oh god, now "Psycho Mango" is going to be the first thing I think of when I see my child for the first time...

... which isn't much worse than "Squishy," which is what I thought when I saw Max. Specifically, "Why, hello there, squishy face." We still call him The Squish.

ETA: Both are better than the first time I saw Brooks. After 2 days of labor and a surprise c-section the only thing I could think of was, "that's not what my baby looks like." And then I noticed my FIL's distinctive profile and said, "Oh wait, never mind. That's him."

Muahaha! That in addition to the dream, I'm clearly invading your mind! *Laughs maniacally*

My son is an artist.. he also works at a college as an advisor.. ( art dept)
stressful.. money, parents, lazy students who think they deserve A's..
and more. So.. I thought it would cheer him up :) be a stress reliever.
Now, to remind his brother to send the games..

Kath: Video games are great for stress relief. Or, at least, the console games are. The old arcade-style high-score-oriented games tend to just infuriate me, however. Maybe I'm a touch competitive... :P

It took me a while to figure out this mango thing that you and Luxx are talking about...but...I got it now! I'm a little slow sometimes...pardon me... ;)

"Psycho Mango" IS kinda catchy! So's psychic mango, actually...

Mangoes. ...?...

I have a baby ticker on my thread that compares the size of the developing monster to food. Stephen is greatly amused by it. At 19 weeks the monster is the size of a mango.

Your little baby is the size of a mango? How neat!

Angela/Richard/Luxx/Linda: Yep! She has the ticker on her thread. Awhile back it was the size of...of...AN ONION! Icky!

Hehe, that is kind of amusing. As is your MSI quote--I've seen them in concert 9 times :D

It took me a second, but do you mean my MSI quote?

I've never seen them in concert, but Brooks and I are fans. He is especially fond of the Jhohan Vasquez video for "Shut Me Up."

yes Luxx, the one you have on your profile under the ticker :)

MSI came to our city 9 yrs in a row, it kind of became a tradition at that point.

The only band I've seen multiple times is Clutch. Primus and GWAR are fun shows, too. I bet MSI would be a bast, but I'm not as enthusiastic about concerts as I used to be.

I'm still happy that I got to see Type-O live before Peter Steele died. My friends actually took me for my 18th or 19th birthday...

I'm here! Got you starred again! I'll never catch up now, but hey, I'm here! :-)

*Goes vacant-eyed during the discussion of rock concerts*

I can't do concerts. I don't like the atmosphere, especially considering the type of music I enjoy. *sigh*

Hi Ilana! :)

*waves*

*Regards Kath curiously as she waves blankly at the wall on the opposite side of the room*

Uhhh, is she broked? :(

Stopping by to say "hey" - love the gaming chatter - I don't get a lot of time to play these days, but I love 'em.

Hi Stephen, just thought I'd pop by again to let you know you're not alone in the world. I know it's quiet here for you today. Hope you don't feel too lonesome. xx

Amber: I'm quite surprised the game chatter lasted so long! Usually I mention games and the thread goes quiet until I bring up booksflesh-eating disease and general naughtiness again. :)

Ilana: *Sniffle* I'm glad somebody cares! *Wails*

Just visiting :) but it's sort of quiet. *tip toes out*

Hiya Stephen! I thought of you this weekend at Anachrocon when one of the speakers at the props and set design panel was one of the makeup and prosthesis artists who worked on The Walking Dead. It was really interesting to hear about his work and how they do what they do.

(runs into Ape's thread and barricades herself in)

Finally, an Oedipus-free zone.

107 - That's what YOU think!

Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew!!!!!!! (scrubs eyes with Comet)

Hi Lynda! *waves*

Rachel: Ohh! I saw the pictures, it looked like a lot of fun! (Well, y'know, as fun as a social gathering can be *mumble mumble*) =)

Sara: Wow, you must be in some serious trouble if you are barricading yourself in MY thread. :o

Luxx: o.O

Well, I'm not in trouble, just troubled by Luxx's teaching of good ol' Freud and Oedipus complexes. What's not to like? XP It's worse than the birds and bees talk.

(wonders why she has the sudden urge to watch Psycho)

Are you there ? Did you have bad storms in your area last night?

LOL ... good one, Luxx.

Yeah, we had some pretty bad storm a couple days ago and knocked out my power for a few hour. :(

Sorry I haven't been posting much, I just haven't been feeling all that great. I'm behind on LT and I haven't been reading much at all. I think I read more than I have in over a week yesterday when I read 9 pages.

I'm not so much in a book funk as a general life funk. I even indulged and bought books. I can't afford to do that, but I just couldn't bring myself to care. At first I only bought two (Vampire Haiku and Zombie Haiku) which look absolutely hilarious and exactly what I need to cheer myself up, but I couldn't resist and wound up buying a couple negative/pessimisitc/depressing books in the form of Plague and Day by Day Armageddon.

So anyway, I saw my thread wasn't active but didn't have anything to say. I guess I could post my February reading summary, despite how disappointing it was. It's been a slow year for me.

February summary

Books read: 5
Pages read: 1,224

Fiction: 2
Nonfiction: 3

Male authors: 4
Female authors: 1

111 - At least you can hide behind a computer screen; my classes have to look me in the eye as I explain that, deep down, each one of them wants to murder one parent and copulate with the other.

Today I'm showing "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in class. :)

ETA: I'm sorry you're in a funk, dear. I hope your haikus do make you feel better.

Funks happen. You shouldn't worry too much about it. A little indulgence goes a long way. And hey, you've read 4 more books than I have this month. . . . actually, 5 is all I've read so far this year.

I'm sorry to hear you are in a funk Stephen. I hope the books help, sometimes being indulgent is the best thing we can do for ourselves! I'll be sending thoughts and prayers your way. The end of winter is always the worst time of year for me because I have that Seasonal affective disorder thingy, but thank God we are finally getting some spring weather here!

Oh, and I can't wait to hear how the haikus are! :)

Stephen, I watched Zoombie Land for the 3rd time yesterday. Just came to me, you could be "Columbus". has anyone ever told you that before. I really enjoy the character.
I like reading haikus.

Sorry to hear you're in a funk Stephen. I've been in one too and only managed to read 3 books in February and one was a graphic memoir (Maus II). My worst month since I joined LT. Thanks for checking in with us. I was beginning to wonder where you were. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Katie: Indeed, I always tend to get down on myself this time of year, only this year it's been the whole winter, with only brief respites. =/

Thanks Rachel and Pat. *Waves*

Cindy: I love Zombieland...and...yes, that might very well be an apt description. Only doesn't he wind up getting the girl in the end. Pah, pure fantasy, that's all Hollywood has to offer anymore. ;)

Hope you feel better soon, Stephen! And enjoy your books!

Rule #1: Cardio.
Rule #2: Double Tap.

...

Thanks Micky.

Jim: Limber up is definitely the best rule! At least, it had me laughing when Tallahassee forgot to do so... :)

Hey Stephen! Just dropping by and wishing you well. Seems like a lot of people are going through the February Funkies. Hope you feel better soon and blow March out of the waters! :)

My personal favorite was "Beware of Bathrooms". Gets a giggle every time! Yeah, i'm still in middle school... :)

Thanks Valeria. :)

Jim: Ha, yes, hurray for being eternally twelve. I need to watch that movie again sometime soon.

Saw this on Yahoo! this morning and thought of you. Aawww, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Just be glad I didn't say that about this other article I was also reading! ;)

Wow, that's incredible, thanks for showing me that Sara! I'm referring to the zombie fungus, of course. ;)

The comments on the breast milk article are certainly entertaining though...

Yeah, sure, "zombie fungus". ;) For some reason, I can't get this nasty image out of my head, though. I'd try the ice cream (I mean, no animals were hurt in the process, and the women volunteered), but, um, I think that pic kinda did it for me. XP

Soooo, *ahem* . . . read any good books lately?

I feel so sorry for those poor zombie ants. Yech.

Sorry you've not been feeling so hot Stephen. I tend to buy stuff to cheer myself up quite often even though I can't afford to either. If it's any consolation, I've been off my game for... well pretty much my whole lifetime, so you've got company. ;-)

Sara: ...oh dear...

Now, why didn't that use THAT image in the article? :P

Unfortunately I'm in a bit of a book/life funk, I haven't read a page the past couple days, and two days ago I read...errr, was it 9 pages? *sigh* Nopee, not a lot of reading going on here.

Thanks Ilana. It's always nice to have company when you're lonely. Even if that makes no sense. :)

I think it'd be the perfect "Got Milk?" billboard. ;)

Re: book/life funks--yeah, life sucks monkey butt that way. I think you've got me beat on # of books read, though. I read a whopping 2 books last month. Woo hoo!

Hmmmm, it'd either be an incredibly effective billboard or...ummm, not. Depends on your target audience I guess...

At least very few people will forget it. ;) Might turn some people off milk for good though.

Sorry to hear about the life funk, Stephen. It worries me even more when I see how MANY of us here are in general funks right now...I guess that's why it's been kinda quiet around the 75ers lately.

(Well, by "quiet" I mean 1,000 posts per day as opposed to the usual 5,000.)

Would you like me to sing "The sun'll come OUT...TOMORROW!" from Annie? The answer is NO. You don't. You'll feel better all by yourself, without my singing. (((HUGS)))

feel better... moon dark right now.. waxing tomorrow.. that will help :)

Sara: Now, who could be turned off by that. :P

Angela: Hugs and a song sounds lovely to me. :)

Luxx: ...you don't want to know the answer to that question. ;)

Kath: Works for me. *Shrug*

Now I really DO want to know the answer.

So do I now. I'm excellent at being invisible, so what's your big super power, huh, Stephen? ;)

136 - Actually, I think that's an awesome button for a new mom to wear. :)

Luxx

I love Victorian paintings. I'm excited to add another book to the collection. I'm having a difficult time reading the name of the author on the jpeg cover you posted. Can you please provide further information?

Thanks!

Luxx/Sara: Saying such things out loud can have catastrophic effects, posting them online where they are visible to the world could be disastrous!

Angela: I certainly would laugh if I saw a mother wearing it! That in addition to the 'bun in the oven,' it sounds like pregnant women could put our farmers out of business! (Or make everyone cringe at the mention of milk and buns)

Linda! Hello dear, how are you? I realize now I haven't been following your thread. :( The book is Victorian Painting by Julian Treuherz. I didn't post a review on the book's page, but I did post my thoughts about it on my last thread. I gave it an average rating because many of the pictures were in black-and-white, which seemed rather pointless to me. The rest of my thoughts are on post 240 if you are interested in reading the rest.

142/3 - I was confused, because I didn't remember posting a book cover. Glad you got that one, Stephen!

Sorry to hear you've been in a general funk, Stefano.

Hope life takes a turn for the better for you soon. We're all here for you if/when you need some comfy shoulders to lean on and vent.. or just lean and be quiet with.

*waving like mad*
Sooo, how are the haikus?

Awww, thanks for stop by Caro. I believe I need to pay your thread a visit. Seems I'm behind on everyone's threads as of late. :(

Rachel: They haven't arrived yet, I'm afraid. I ordered them online, along with a slew of casual video games for my mom. She just got a fancy new laptop specifically to play little games on. She didn't really know what to get and, naturally, turned to me. I barrowed her credit card and ordered a whole bunch of little games her and her boyfriend can play, and tacked on a few books for me. *sigh* Bad idea, really, she knows my financial situation and then here I go handing her a pile of cash (in 1's...) for books I shouldn't have bought. D'oh.

She waved the cash off though, despite my insistence, so I guess the books were free. *shrug*

Oh, and the great thing about casual games is they don't require the disc to be inserted to play them, so I barrowed those too and installed them all on my computer. So...now I have over 30 games to play...oh dear. That's not going to help with the reading situation, but at least I'll have something to do now, since I've been laying about the house doing nothing at all as of late. =/

Right, I'm rambling, ummm, soo, all my mom's games have arrived and only 1 of my books. Hmph... Day by Day Armageddon looks cool though, love the cover!

Christ-on-a Crutch...

All of my LT friends (myself included) have been suffering some sort of very "unfunky" funk...book or otherwise.. At least it's not a strictly Ohio thing, right...Stephen???

anywho...i was trolling my shelves and found a gem you might like.Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block....punk, LA, (gay) kids, good writing

{{{{{{{{hug}}}}} (though that will probably freak you out)

;-}

I've noticed the general 'funky' nature of people, LT and RL, as of late too. I blame the excessively stupid winter. MN is about to get another blizzard, so I expect even more funk to come.

Stephen, just the name 'Day by Day Armageddon' sounds cool. Hope it's good and look forward to comments, whenever that may be ;)

Jude, my library actuall has that book.

Unfortunately it's in the YA section, which I haven't worked myself up enough to actually walk into yet. Maybe that'll encourage me to finally go over there, and brave the Kid-decorations with the trees and giraffes and jungle grass... ...

E-hugs are my favorite! *hugs*

Hi Katie, indeed, I wonder if the erratic nature of the weather doesn't have anything to do with it. *shrug*

>150 Ape:....Your Library YA section is a "jungle gym"...EWWWW

if you weren't such a noodge....i could loan you Dangerous Angels.....it's not like the book would travel cross-country or such....(i know..a loan is "impossible"...just thought i'd try)

;-}

Maybe you could wear a trench coat and a shady look, and leave it behind a dumpster in a suspicious-looking suitcase. Then I can do the pick-up.

No wait, it's a trap! I know you and your posse have it out for me!

Well anyway, it snowed. SNOWED!? Not sure how/why.

Oh, love Francesca Lia Block. :) I just bought that omnibus, but have only read Weetzie Bat so far.

#153: You're our science expert, mister. Surely you know how/why it snows. ;)

It's Edward Scissorhands making ice sculptures. Duh. ;)

I thought it was when clouds ran into eachother and eploded. ???

Ooh, Edward Scissorhands . . . (wonders how long it would take her to unearth that movie from her DVD pile)

I like the idea of stuff exploding, though. Hmm . . . Johnny Depp in leather or clouds exploding? You guys are much nicer about nature. I always figured it had to do with God and freezing urine or something.

No Sara, that would be absurd! No no no, silly, you're thinking of sleet. :P

It looks like you have plenty of people here to cheer you up. Just wanted to say I've missed you around these parts. Your Life Funk will be replaced by Spring Fever very soon...I hope.

>153 Ape:....Hmmm, I have the trench coat & the fedora..probably the "shady look" if i don't wear my glasses!...are there alleys & dumpsters in your neck of the woods? Maybe just leave the book in your mailbox...in a plain brown wrapper???

>154 saraslibrary: & >157 saraslibrary:...You like Weetzie Bat and Edward Scissorhands???? a gal after my own heart, you are!

;-}

checking on you..or trying to.. take care of yourself ..y'hear?

#158: Hmm, I'm thinking a little too much about God's schlong and his peeing habits. Rain or sleet: he just likes peeing on us. Period.

#160: Well, duh, who wouldn't?! :)

Hi Donna, nice of you to stop by, considering how I haven't visited your's in... *checks* oh my gosh, a new thread!? No worries, I've been neglecting just about everyone as of late. :(

Jude: Well, there are gravel-road-things between streets, those count as alleys right?

Kath: Yes ma'am, if you insist. I generally prefer to be self-destructive though...

Sara: God's schlong...so have you googled that yet? ;)

I READ TODAY! 30 whole pages too! Ok, so that's not even half of what I normally average, but considering I haven't read a page in...4-5 days(?) this has felt like a very productive day. I even had a big giant folder of games to distract me. Geez, what did I do last week? It just went poof, gone, and wasted. *shrug*

Oooooh, and look at the Early Reviewers batch, a new book by China Mieville. Neato.

Yay! Congrats on reading! I haven't had any time for reading today, so that's 30 pages more than I've read today. :)
I hope this means no more funk? 'Cause if you need me to, I can do a funk-be-gone dance! Though I might get some funny looks from everyone here...

Sorry to hear about the funk Stephen. Hope you feel better soon. And well done for getting some reading in yesterday.

Rachel: Oh! A funk-be-gone dance? Oh deary me, whatever could that look like? Is it derived from disco music, or (being funk-BE-GONE,) is it the exact opposite of disco?

Now where'd Angela go? With her singing and your dancing, why, it sounds like I have quite the party starting. :)

Thanks Heather, hopefully the book funk is gone. We'll see, but Magic Encyclopedia is calling me, and I don't think playing those games counts as reading. D'oh...

Do what you want / need to do... but get out of da funks asap...

I hope you're off to a good start today, darling.

Stephen, just checking in on my fellow Funk-ee. Sounds like perhaps things are getting a bit less funk-y? Shockingly this morning I seem to feel a little less out of it, and hopefully that's true for things down Ohio way too!

Have a great Tuesday, dear Stephen! Hope it's better today than it has been of late.

Kath: I'll try. Haven't read a page again today so it's not looking good. *shrug*

Luxx: Oh dear, I have a 52 percent chance of being eaten. Eeep!

Hi Laura, I'm feeling marginally better but haven't read today. I've had my book within arm's reach all day but haven't reached out for it. I plan to read some right after this post though! After I take Shyanne out for a bit. And take a shower. And eat something. Hmmm, but then I'll probably talk myself out of it. D'oh.

*drops off Old Book Smell air freshener* That ought to help clear some of the funkiness. ;)

Yep! Pretty much the exact opposite of disco. Yep, between the singing and dancing we'll banish the funk (if you don't die of laughter).

Oooh, Old Book Smell air freshener? Now how come Walmart doesn't sell those, hm? I suppose 'old book smell' is exactly what most people try to get rid of...

Rachel: Nothing better to battle a book funk like dying of laughter, I say. :D

I read a little bit today. And I still have plenty of time before I get the late-evening drowsies, so whe'll see if I can't match yesterday's total.

Sending you a little rainbow smooch to help break up da funk, Stefano....

Thanks Caro. I don't have smooch-stains on my cheek, do I? Regular smooches sound embarrassing enough, but rainbow ones... *blushes*

Too bad it wasn't a glow in the dark smooch as well because well then it would be hard to hide now wouldn't it?? ;)

!?!?! There's glow in the dark lipstick!? Well yes, of course there is, why wouldn't there be? Hmmm, sounds...intriguing... :)

also glow in the dark body paint. . . .

Wow, it's both interesting and horrifying at the same time.... *Googles questionable things involving glow in the dark paint*

I'm behind but just stopping into Apeville to say hi.

Looks like Mardi Gras !

Just me...saying Hi again...
I'm not sure if the song I was going to sing you would match up with a funk-be-gone dance. I think the song is too slow for dancing. Maybe if I played a techno beat behind the melody?? If it cheers you up, we could certainly try! :)

>179 katelisim: WAAAY cool!

I looked for you, found you, and have commented. Now faGodsake snap outta this rotten funk!

Hi Lynda. Welcome to Apeville! There are postcards, but...they probably aren't appropriate for sending to family. :P

Cindy: *Has sudden urge to go to the next Mardi Gras*

Hi Angela. Ok, with the techno beat and the glow-in-the-dark paint my thread has officially become party central, I think. Oh wait, I hate parties, wah! *Runs and hides from his own thread*

Hey Richard! Nice of you to stop by my lowly little thread. (*sniffle of self-pity*) Actually, the funk is weakened, as I've already read my 30 pages today and will be doing even more reading in just a bit. Hurray. And Perdido Street Station is kinda sort of almost coming to an end. Well, I mean, I've got another 175-ish+ pages yet I think, but it feels like I'm close to the end, which means lots of feverish "can't put the book down" reading sessions...I hope...

Stephen, we've turned it into a rave. So, everyone will be too entranced by the music and glowy stuff to bother you in a corner. You could even try to read by black light :P

#163: Y'know, googling god's schlong is way down there with bestiality and pedophilia, but (*sigh*) I did it any. For science, of course. And thank god, all I could find was this:



Actually, I lied. There were faaaaar worse things out there. Believe me, and just leave it at that! 0_o

#169: Ha! Thanks for that. :P Now I'm more paranoid than ever. Chants "44% chance of being eaten, 44% chance of being eaten" over and over in her head.

Katie: I'm almost ashamed to admit I actually own a blacklight...

Sara: *Prays to Sara's god and hopes to be blessed.* :P

Another link that made me think of you.

Haha, thanks Luxx, very funny! :D

Why do you own a blacklight, Stefano? *mind boggles at possibilities ...none PG rated*

I tried googling "funk-be-gone" juice to see what is out there. Alas, you are out of luck..the only stuff that came up was rather questionable??@.@ So I guess you will have to settle for glow in the dark body paint and rave dancing! :)

Ummm, I thought it'd be cool to own one in...errr, I think, 7th-8th grade. So I asked for one for my birthday or something, got one, turned it on once and said "neat!" and then never turned it on again. And, oddly, still have it... *shrug*

Valerie: Oh, all I ever get on google is 'questionable' things! It's a curse of mine, naughty results no matter what I type....

now all you need is some neon body paint! ;-)

LOL! With the neon body paint and the black light, I'm going to say you won't really need to google anything for anything "questionable". :)

Caro: I don't think they sell it by the bucket-load. D'oh. :P

Have you tried googling that?? :D

*Bows to the master cross-poster known as Valerie* Yes, any kind of 'body paint' search will result in anything...unquestionable...

Haha, you did it again with the cross-posting, even as I was posting about it. XD

I'm good.... *Pats herself on the back*

Christ-on-a Crutch...

I stop by to wish you well in your Funk...and your thread is way too Funky!!

I love the NEON BODY PAINT stuff..as long as it's not on my body!

>187 saraslibrary: I always wondered when someone would "call out" GOD on that schlong bit.....thank you for clarifying..

Da Funky Disco??? anyone heard of George Clinton/Funkadelic???? "Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow?"" (one of the best disco/funk tracks ever..)

I better get out while the gettin' is good.........

It is way too bright in here. I'm going back to the non-glow in the dark, rave-free threads. ;)

P.S. Glad the funk is waning.

OMG. I'm away from your thread for just a few days and next thing I know... 61 NEW MESSAGES! Yikes. So ya, I just scrolled right down and saying "hiya!"

hehe, I'm glad the bad funk is turning to good funk :)

Stephen, would you do a little experiment for me? See what reading under a black light is like? I've always wanted to try, but I don't own one. . . . and anywhere I've been has been, predictably, void of book.

Jude: Oh sure, yes, body paint on other people is definitely preferable...

Don't know a thing about disco, I'm afraid...

Micky: *Sniff* If you insist on leaving... *cries*

Ilana: Hiya back atcha! :)

Katie: Haha, I suppose I could try, assuming the bulb still works. It would have been...10-ish years ago that I got it.

Sooooooo... *stumbles into rave and tries to identify people by their neon warpaint* Aaaaah, Stephen! *waves in direction of boy with neon crotch*

Caught up... finally... my own little funk seems to have kept me away from everywhere but my own thread of late, so hello everyone over here! Nice to see y'all again! :-)

Neon crotch? But I haven't even applied the glow-in-the-dark paint yet. *looks down* ...Oh dear...

Nice to see you here, Ellie! Were you feeling particularly more sane during your absence from my thread? :P

Worryingly, no, not really... :-)

Ok, I'll just hang out in this corner over here and read my book by black light. But no neon body paint for me. :)

Ellie: Oh, good, then I'm not at fault. :P

Micky: Good luck, I don't know how you can read with Angela singing and Rachel dancing all over the place.

Important news: ...I've finished a book! Yes, really! In a flurry of reading I read over 90 pages today to finish it. (I think my 175-pages-left prediction up there was a bit off...) I've been reading Perdido Street Station since Feb. 19th, and have been reading only that book, for all those days. But alas, it is finished, and it was a great book.

I'm not sure if I'm up to writing a review, but I'll have it up tomorrow morning at the latest. Or in an hour. *shrug*

Errr, or 'half an hour.' Here's my first book since February 19th...

11. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville



Pages: 623
Rating: 4/5

Fiction - Urban Fantasy/Steampunk

Perdido Street Station is 'one of those books,' one that everyone has been raving about for years that I just haven't gotten around to yet. I see the cover posted everywhere, the title listed everywhere else, and I think "Hey, I'm going to read that one of these days" but just can't seem to bring myself to actually read it.

Then one day, I read it, and I realize (with only minor irritation) that it is wonderful and I should have read it a long time ago. In this case, that even applies to the author, as I have never read a China Mieville book to boot.

But now I have, and I'm glad I did. Perdido Street Station has quite a complicated plot in the beginning, very non-linear, so I can't go wasting space in my review describing it. Let's just say there's a big city, lots of people, doing lots of different things, each of which is absorbing and attention-grabbing, that all weave themselves into a spectacular story involving all sorts of interesting and complex characters coming together in an epic struggle to save a run-down, dilapidated city.

The writing is sound. I think Mieville has a tendency to go off on odd tangents from time to time, but I didn't necessarily find these a bad thing. While he will go on for pages about things unrelated to the story, I found these lengthy passages really sucked me into the world of New Crobozun, and really breathed life into the world he created.

So, all told, it was a terrific read. The characters and story have depth, the city and setting are memorable, it's simply an all-around great book. So now I ask...why didn't I read this sooner? Or more importantly, if you are reading this, why haven't you?

I was always thought China was a chick for some reason. Hmm, maybe a really butch chick . . . er, back to the topic. Congrats! You finished a book! Yay! Good boy! You get a cookie for that!

LOL! I was trying to look for pictures of dog cookies, but look what I found instead: Cookie Sutra cookie cut-outs. XD And I wasn't even looking for it, I swear!

Congrats anyway. :)

I actually thought China was a chick too, until I saw his picture.



Nope, not a chick...

Yay for Sutra cookies. :D

Great review Stephen! Onto my wishlist it goes. :)

Loved your review, Stephen. I have a copy of his book The City & the City which I need to try. I haven't read anything by him yet. I must admit that photo is a little scary.

213 - I remember coming across a picture of leathermen gingerbread cookies when I was doing a project for a graduate queer theory course. Unfortunately, google did not provide the results I was looking for when I just tried to find the image again.

Nice review!

Valerie: Muahahaha. :P

Pat: Don't worry, he's harmless. When I googled for the picture, in all the ones taken of him while he was talking or unaware of the camera he has a very soft expression, but the ones where he is posing (for an author photo or whatever) he's got the 'intimidating' look on his face. :)

Luxx: Who knew gingerbread cookies were so kinky?

Thanks Jim! :)

Katie! I tested the blacklight, and YES, you can read by it. Most of the time, anyway. I tried different books, and sometimes the paper would get really dark and it was impossible to read. Other times the paper would glow and the text would stand out very well.

Also, it depends on the lighting. It has to be pitch-black. If there is any amount of light, even a little, it'll be too dark to read by and the blacklight will be ineffective.

I took pictures, I'll post them in a bit. They are blurry because I was holding the camera in 1 hand and the blacklight with the other, plus I had to use other books to prop the book open so you could see inside the pages, but you can get an idea of what it looks like from them.

Ok, here are the pictures.



This one worked well. It's a nonfiction with really thick, dark pages, and when I turned on the blacklight it really empasized the texture of it. It looked like it was made of granite, with lots of little pockmarks, and the text stood out brilliantly. (Also, Day by Day Armageddon looks really cool under the light...althought it didn't pick up well in the picture)



This one didn't work out as well. It was a trade paperback with thinner pages, and for some reason the paper got super dark when I turned on the light. However, I had to take a picture because of all the glowing stripes. The ones on the edge are the inside cover, and the ones in the middle are glossy pages with pictures on them (It's a nonfiction)

Some of the 'light and thin' papered books didn't darken and got extremely bright though, so it really depends I guess.

Anyway, there you go. :)

Yay! Vicarious living!
Thank you, sir, for solving that years long mystery :D
Though, now I feel the need to test this on every book I own. . .

Glad you liked Perdido Street Station. I read it a few years ago while recovering from a bout of Flu.....thought it looked good and wouldn't be too "lightweight"....I rarely put the book down....just read & read & read.....boy oh boy, our boy China can sure spin a yarn...with a few tangles here & there but, so what? Next, if you're still up for more of his work..try The Scar...it's piracy..of a whole 'nother sort!!

Good to see you back, kiddo!

;-}

.........ah, black light! I remember it well...everybody in the dorm at college had one!!!

Oooh, I've been wanting to read Perdido Street Station for a while now! Glad to herar you liked it.

So does this mean my Funk-be-Gone dance is working?

Nice review! I now know it is possible to read by black light...there's always something to learn on this thread. ;)

eta...oh, and I've also learned that China can be a guy's name!

Stephen-Loved the review of Perdido Street Station. You earned a heart thumbs up. That will be my next Mieville. Hopefully I can get to it in the next few months.

Nice review, Stephen! And since your funk is gone *knock on wood* I can now have a little peace in my corner. :)

Katie: Yes, after I did the first two I just ~had~ to see what all the others would look like.

Jude: I hope to read more of Mieville in the future, but unfortunately my library only carries one of his books. Ridiculous, right?

Rachel: Yep, the Funk-be-Gone dance must be effective. :)

Angela: Yep, I always aspire to be educational, don't know why you all misinterpret my meaningful insight as perversion. :P

Thanks Mark, I hope you like it as well when you get around to it.

Micky: Peace? On my thread? Oh no no no, I can't possibly allow that to happen! >:)

12. Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum



Pages: 139
Rating: 3/5

I just had to read this book. I had to. I read some of the quotes and they were so funny. I couldn't resist, I had to read it. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed.

It's not that Zombie Haiku is bad, there are some very humorous poems here. I won't quote any as you can find plenty in other reviews, but some are truly hilarious . It's just that the rest of the book, in between the bouts of laughter, are rather dull.

The book tells the story of a young man who is turned into a zombie, the book of poetry is his journal he writes in as he begins his new undead life. He chronicles his memory loss, his inability to focus on anything other than brains, and his struggle with those blasted doorknobs. It's entertaining for sure, but it didn't live up to my expectations. These story-related passages just don't live up to the spotlighted quotes you see here and other places.

Still, the book is mildly amusing. The book 'looks' cool, and it can easily be read in a single sitting, so it makes for a solid choice for borrowing from a public library. At worst you'll waste a half-hour of reading, and perhaps laugh out loud during the time. Not bad, but not great either.

Congrats on the hot review!

I also liked your review of Perdido Street Station, another long time resident on my tbr pile. I read Un Lun Dun last year and really do want to read some more of his work. I read that he tries to write a book in a different genre each time, Un Lun Dun was his children's book.
Steering clear of Zombie Haiku.

I saw Zombie Haiku..somewhere..maybe while i was chomping on some illiterate's brain??????

Haiku is fun...in the writing...Zombies just want the brain matter

;-p

Thanks Michelle.

Kerry: Un Lun Dun is the only book my library carries by Mieville. I've added it to the wishlist...we'll see how long it takes me to get around to that one.

Jude: Yes, they always seem to have brains on the mind, don't they? ;) A quote from the book, clearly a sign of poetic genius on part of the zombie:

Brains, brains, brains, brains, brains
brains, brains, brains, brains, brains, brains, brains
brains, brains, brains, brains, brains

Good news, Vampire Haiku was a hundred billion times better. Review coming later, assuming I can write another one today. o.O

13. Vampire Haiku by Ryan Mecum



Pages: 139
Rating: 5/5

Oh, I feel so lucky! I bought both of Ryan Mecum's "monster" haiku books, Zombie and Vampire Haiku, together. I read Zombie Haiku first, because who doesn't love zombies? Unfortunately, it wasn't great. Not true for Vampire Haiku! Had I not bought them together, if I had read Zombie Haiku before purchasing Vampire Haiku, I might not have given this one a shot. I'm so glad I did.

Vampire Haiku is infinitely better. It's funny a lot more often, and the 'story' is much more absorbing. It is written in journal-format again, but this time spans a few hundred years (1620-present) and covers many popular historic events between those times. My favorites were those relating to vampires in modern pop culture. His reactions to Twilight are simply hilarious.

Those were not vampires
if the sun makes you sparkle
you're a unicorn.

The book also has remarkable presentation, it's just fun to look at. It is filled with pictures that set the mood much better than the ones in Zombie Haiku did, and it just feels...well, vampire-y.

I loved it. My only complaint is that it ended too soon. I really do wish it had lasted longer. Oh well, this one I am glad I own, as I know I will be reading it again in the future.

#214: Oh, hey, he almost has as many earrings as I do (on both ears, she mumbles)! Love it.

#217: I probably didn't find the right one, but voila! A gingerbread man in leather. :D

#221: That is freakin' awesome, but I'd be asleep in two seconds flat if I read that way.

#229: I don't know if I'm repeating myself here, but I had a coworker who had the same reaction to Zombie Haiku--kind of "meh". I see it all the time at work, have thumbed through a page or two, but poetry's not really my thing.

#234: Ok, I lied. Sort of. Poetry's not really my thing; I'd just rather read vampire haikus over zombie ones. I'll have to look for that one sometime. Gracias! :)

Hee hee-ing over the haiku above. Reminded me of the disco ball scene in Vampires Suck.

Btw, you've got me beat on books read for the year. I'm impressed! :)

Stopping by to say hello!

Your review of Perdido Street Station made me want to get to it sooner than later. It's been on my wishlist for a while, but you've done a good job of making me want to read it... sooner than later, as I've just said. Did I just repeat myself? I'm sorry but... am I repeating myself? Blasted migraine! :-|

eta: just checked and they have several copies at the library! Yay!

Phew, thank heavens I already had Perdido Street Station on my TBR pile from when it first appeared on your ST list! Love the gingerbread naughtiness - and the disco ball! ;-)

Sara: Did your coworker try Vampire Haiku? It's much better, I promise. :D

And maybe I only have you beat on books read this year because those haiku books were kinda cheating. I mean, officially I read 276 pages yesterday...D'oh

Although I suppose with the funk and all, it probably evens out in the end.

Tamara! Nice to see you posting again. Are you well? Are you sticking around this time? :) *Hugs*

Ilana: I hope you like Perdido Street Station, whenever you get around to it. (If you're like me, probably anothe few years? :P) I hope the migraine has receded. Those things are no fun...

Oh hey Ellie, you snuck up on me there. Good thing I wasn't doing anything I shouldn't! :P

I'm very thankful for disco balls right now...

Perdido Street Station is on my "Up Next" pile. Looking a bit more forward to it. I was a little nervous about it.

Don't worry, it's a bit 'large' but it's one of those that goes by pretty quickly. Assuming you don't sink into a reading funk halfway through it, that is. :)

Vampire Haiku sounds like good fun!

Stephen, I'm kind of unpredictable that way. Some books can sit on my shelves or in my wishlist for years before I get to them, while others get picked up immediately. There doesn't seem to be any logic to it and it certainly has nothing to do with the merits of the books. One of life's mysteries I guess!

I've been dealing with migraines my whole life. I guess that's because I use my brain too much! :-P

Luxx: It is! I didn't realize when I ordered the book, but there is a Werewolf Haiku too. We'll see how many years it is before I get around to that one. :P

Ilana: Yes, using your brain too much...that's why I never have headaches. :)

#238: I know, what's not to like about naughty gingerbread men and really BIG disco balls? :D

#239: I don't know; I haven't asked him; but I know he doesn't like anything vampire-y (they're too mainstream and pretty for him). I guess I'll just have to beat him with it, until he picks it up -- and then beats me to death with it. ;)

officially I read 276 pages yesterday -- That's not cheating in my book. 276 pages is 276 pages no matter if it's full of itty bitty type and no paragraphs or all pictures and giant letters (the ones I prefer ;).

#244: I agree with you re: Some books can sit on my shelves or in my wishlist for years before I get to them, while others get picked up immediately.--especialy if I've been out book shopping and found that random book I just have to read that second.

#245: Ok, Werewolf Haiku: that one looks like something my coworker would read. I'll have to see if we have it at work. Thanks! :)

re: headaches/migraines -- I was gonna say the same thing! :D I almost never get headaches unless it's caffeine related. Nothing up there to ache.

Sara: Maybe our brains just work more effeciently, so they ache less! That, or all the naughty thoughts work as lubrication. :P

*wanders into the madness*

I'm the same with the whole 'when I read my books' thing. It can be 10 years before I finally pick it up (I did spend a LOT of time trawling the 7 charity shops of Matlock in my teens) - my current read, Tipping the Velvet, has an inscription from my school friend from Christmas 2005, for example... Or I can pick up a book at the shop and start reading on the spot.

Sympathies to the headachy peeps out there - I get them all the time. Hormonal headaches every month (woke up with a cracker yesterday and today), 'I haven't drunk enough' headaches by teatime after a particularly hectic day at work, 'I've been in the sun too long' headaches in summer... well, you get the idea.

Carry on, my darlings! *wafts out again*

Hmmm, most people get headaches after they drink too much, not because they haven't drunk enough... ;)

You know.. yours is the fourth one of my always visit threads to be red X'ed..
And I did NOT do it.. wonder what gives..

ellie.. I love that book!

I also get headaches quite a bit. Some easily defined causes are stress, dehydration, and illness. I used to get caffeine headaches. . . but I gave up caffeine about a month ago. After that 1st dreadful week of headachyness, I've been fine. But I get undefined headaches too. I've just gotten used to them, hardly notice em sometimes.

Kath: Oh sure... *sniffle* I'm sure you didn't forget about me. I'm sure the red X excuse isn't just to make me feel better. *sob*

Katie: Booo headaches. On the rare occasions when I do get headaches it's usually as a result of staring at screens too long, especially at night in the dark. If I get addicted to a video game, for example, and play it for more than a couple hours at night, that causes problems.

In fact, nighttime screen-looking of any kind can be bad. If I'm on the computer too much late at night I can get a headache. Blech. Well worth staying away from the computer if I don't have to deal with headaches. :)