Life Update

New Job
So, the new job rocks! I suppose I shouldn’t talk about it here because 1. (it’s probably unprofessional) and 2. I must regretfully acknowledge the rest of the world may not find database code nearly as fascinating as I do. But! Let’s just say it’s going to be exciting and challenging.

Plus, working downtown is awesome. Having a view of these two churches almost makes it feel like I work in Europe. I wonder if there will be chimes?

and

Unfortunately, there’s a Quizno’s in the building. Gah! So tempting. I’m not sure my brought-from-home maple walnut oatmeal can compete with a yummy tomato and cheddar sub.

Movies
In other news, the husband and I went to see Wolfman. We both liked it. It’s well-done, and the acting is great, and it has the perfect foggy, creepy gothic feel. Del Toro is great. Recommended to fans of such.

Random Stuff

1.
I netflixed Caprica recently and enjoyed it immensely. If you liked BSG, I definitely recommend watching this. It explores all sorts of cool religion/technology/love themes. Really well done. Plus, CYLONS!

2.
Apparently, I am totally allergic to puppeh. This is so not cool. Would you want to be allergic to this?! It’s very sad.

3.
I switched back to morning workouts. Can’t remember why I stopped. Oh yeah, because I have to get up at 6am to do it. It’s still better than working out at, like, 11 pm which is about as soon as I can muster up the energy on a normal day.

4.
My piano will finally be tuned on Wed. THANK GOD. Meanwhile, I’ve been working up a Mozart piece, which I like but don’t love. I want to work up some Bartok, but I’m not sure I have it in me just now. (Bartok is tough musically as well as technically, and I am a wimp.) Maybe I should go back to Chopin.

August Books and Movies

Michael Chabon is clearly brilliant. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (which I’d wanted to read for several months but hadn’t because it wasn’t available for Kindle. When will Amazon stop depriving me of great literature?! I gave them a gazillion dollars for the Kindle, so they should reward me with great reading.) is a masterpiece. Instead of throwing adjectives at you, I’ll just suggest you read it.

Benjamin Rosenbaum’s short story collection, The Ant King and Other Stories is also brilliant. He writes a vampire into the Old Testament! The stories are enlightening and surprising, and they’re super re-readable for inspiration.

Have any of you guys read either book? Liked them?

I finished Davidson’s The Gargoyle. (Oh, how it was hyped! Oh, how I fell for the hype! *gullible*) The subject matter was cool, and there were some really interesting parts in the beginning. The transformation of the main character guy is believable and even touching at times, but in the end, I didn’t find the story to be overly compelling or complex. It might appeal to any Anne Rice fans out there (I love Anne Rice, so this is not a slight on her at all). It shares some of her stylistic techniques but, I would say, not her speculative historical substance.

Movies
The husband and I went to see Vicky Christina Barcelona. It was wonderful! It’s funny, human and beautifully made. Penelope Cruz was fantastic. Plus, Barcelona. I highly recommend it.

Begging for Recs

Sooooo. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle wasn’t really for me. It felt too conventional, I guess, and the subject matter didn’t speak to me. Apparently, a lot of other people really enjoyed it, so don’t take my word for it.

And, oh horror… my TBR pile is down to one book!!! What the heck? I’m having trouble finding reading material. Recommend, plz? Here are a few books I adore. Have you read anything similar?

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Anything by Margaret Atwood
Anything by Tracy Chevalier
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Anything by Hemingway
In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

See any patterns? Got any ideas? Help a sistah out!!

The husband and I waltzed past the Dark Knight crowds–which wound around the building–into our movie of choice, The Happening. Critics *hated* this movie, but we love M. Night, so we had to take a look for ourselves. Glad we did… It was freakin’ brilliant. Difficult, yes, challenging, graphic and low-budget, yes. But brilliant.

This movie was *actually* scary, not just gimmicky with substance-less surprise gore. It was masterfully suspenseful throughout. It also had a thought-provoking sci-fi premise and beautiful, emotionally-realistic writing. I can’t for the life of me figure out how anyone could give the big-budget action movie of the week an ‘A’ while giving The Happening ‘C’s and ‘D’s. I seriously don’t get it.

M. Night refers to Hitchcock quite a bit in this one. He *is* the Hitchcock of our generation, I believe. I suspect his movies will endure. (Surely. o.o)

Did anyone else see it? Like it? Have any idea why the critics slammed it? (Okay, it was graphic, but so are a lot of horror movies.) *srsly confubbled*

Lookout

Movies
I watched The Lookout and enjoyed it. The main character was extremely likable and distinctive. The story was put together well and was engaging as a crime story as well as an emotional character-development story. The acting was great. I recommend it.

Books
I reread Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale this weekend and started a reread of Gaiman’s Neverwhere. It was gorgeous outside here in Colorado, but cold, and reading in my warm, comfy nook was too nice to stop. I love Handmaid’s Tale, but I’m sure it has influenced me more than any book should. I can’t quite leave it behind as inspiration because, to me, it is the perfect Great Story. It’s brilliant on so many levels. I wish I could write something like that. I imagine I will always be trying. *sigh*