Reading List Round-Up 2012: Books 12-18

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
This book is a gritty chronicle of the life of the titular character, a sad-sack who never really grows out of that role.  Told primarily from the viewpoint of his erstwhile roommate, Oscar's story is a dismal one.  He is extremely intelligent, 100% committed to uber-nerd pursuits, and a prolific writer.  Unfortunately in his surroundings none of this really matters.  Oscar is physically unattractive and somewhat anti-social, which leads pretty much everyone to treat him like crap.  And then he dies.  Oh, and there are some other story threads about his sister and mother and their Dominican heritage.  Recommended if you don't mind a bummer of a story that never really gets more optimistic, written in a rhythmic, engaging style that almost makes up for the narrative.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
I guess February turned out to be the month for downward spiral/depressing books, because this qualifies as both.  If you've seen the film you remember a lot of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet screaming at each other and also having angry sex.  The novel is largely the same, though it does provide a deeper explorations of the inner workings of Frank and Alice Wheeler's misery.  Comprehending why they hate one another and their lives so much, however, only increases the burden of sadness this story provides.  This is one of the quintessential reads if you're like me and you love stories about suburbanites who hate their lives.

Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter
If you're at all familiar with Ritter's work as a musician, the style of his prose and the folks-y world in which he has set this story seem like they would be right at home in one of his songs.  While Bright's Passage does bear some of the markings of a first-time author and Ritter's transition from penning songs to the long haul of writing a novel is visible at times, the story has an impact nonetheless.  The best part is the visual world it evokes, really painting a picture of a period and of people caught up in events much bigger than themselves.  There are some other Ritter trademarks that crop up, and if you're a fan of his music it's fun to spot them:  friendly and helpful animals crawl around everywhere, poking their noses in at opportune moments; romances are quick and based on mutual understandings formed of brief encounters; there's a bad man with a rifle in pursuit of the hero; and of course, a spoonful of spirituality sprinkling over the proceedings.  This book doesn't take long to read, and it's an imaginative break from your day.

Reasons to Live by Amy Hempler
This is a collection of short stories that promises on its jacket to be moving and life-affirming and a whole bunch of other stuff.  It is not.  The stories are mediocre, many of them are poorly executed, and there's no consistent sense of voice.  Skip this one (I wish I had).

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
I already knew Zusak had the ability to craft an intriguing, heartbreaking story because I read his more famous novel The Book Thief a few months ago (incidentally, that also falls on my 'highly recommended' list).  I Am the Messenger is not quite as moving as TBT, mostly because the subject matter and themes are so different, but it is touching in its own way.  It was especially poignant for me to read because it really captures the feeling I think many young adults have right now, not knowing quite how their lives are going to shape up and what their actions will mean.  I Am the Messenger offers a bit of consolation by illustrating that sometimes a really small act of kindness or charity or just showing up can really make a difference in your life and in those of the people around you.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
This is a tough book to pass judgment on, especially immediately after finishing it.  The value of this book lies, I think, in the fact that if you have no experience with or understanding of autism, it's a huge eye-opener.  But if you've read other books like this before or have worked with autistic persons in your real life, The Curious Incident... is perhaps not the best representation.  It certainly inspires a new facet of understanding these individuals (especially for readers who may not have considered how drastically differently they see the world), and it's a fairly interesting story primarily because of its narrator, but it tries a bit too hard to make its protagonist a kind of "face of autism" rather than a real character.  Definitely worth a read by virtue of its being unlike most novels out there, but nothing astounding.

Griftopia byMatt Taibbi
Here's the thing, kids.  If you think that you're the appropriate amount of angry over the financial malarky of the past few years (past few decades, really), then don't read this book.  Because if you're like me and you have a usually-dormant social justice monster inside you, this book will renew its fervor and it WILL try to eat your insides (the monster, not the book).  On the plus side, Taibbi does an incredible job explaining the factors which led to our financial implosion in a very accessible (if occasionally biased) way; so if you're one of those folks who pretended to comprehend more of the financial crisis than you actually did, this book can definitely provide some clarity.  Also, he does some serious hatin' on Sarah Palin and the Tea Party crew, so there's that.  Overall, for someone who usually groans at the prospect of non-fiction due to a desire to escape reality, this is a pretty intriguing and relevant read, particularly for those of us planning on voting in November's election (although some of the stuff in here may make you not want to cast a ballot for anyone at all, ever again).

Best Book:  Tie, Griftopia and I Am the Messenger

Worst Book:  Reasons to Live

Fastest Read:  Bright's Passage

Slowest Read: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

There you have it.  I may have fallen a bit behind in posting this, but all of these books were read and scrutinized by yours truly during the month of February.  I've made a conscious effort to seek out a few more humorous and uplifting books for March; however, I am as always at the mercy of the library system and books' availability.  I also didn't read as many as I wanted to this month; I'm going to blame that on February being short (even with a Leap Day), and shoot for better next time.  Until then, thanks for reading with me!

Soundtrack Series, Part Four: On the Road

Summer is just about here (even if some of us are still waiting to graduate), and for me that means travel.  At least, in a roundabout way it does.  Yes, budget permitting I would love to go somewhere new and unfamiliar, but looking at things practically my journeys will most likely take place on the streets I already know.  And that's okay for now, because I feel like there's still something to be learned, and maybe even some new part of it to experience. 


But no matter where my travels (or lack thereof) lead me, I find myself thirsting for the perfect soundtrack to provide the essential musical companionship.  These are some of the tracks that will most definitely be making it into the rotation when the first of my journeys, Seattle to Chicago, kicks off next week.

Holiday in Spain -- Counting Crows
This song is kind of heartbreaking, but in an awesome way.  It's about escaping, which for me is most definitely a big part (if not the biggest part) of traveling.  I had a friend once say that she thought Adam Duritz makes his best music when he's depressed, and as much as I'd hope he's happier now, based on this song alone I would be inclined to agree.

Chicago -- Sufjan Stevens
No, I'm not biased just because the song title is my hometown.  This song is fantastic in a way that is uniquely Sufjan, and it's such a great travel song, especially for car rides (I honestly think there's something he did on purpose with the instrumentation that forces you to picture road-tripping across the country).

Good Man  -- Josh Ritter
This isn't really a traveling song, but it's catchy in a similar way.  Josh Ritter is one of my favorite artists because I feel like he has a song for every occasion and ever mood.  I like the idea of rolling along a highway with the windows open and this song on the radio, listening to its Western-y tune and picturing Josh's adorable smile when he sings it.

In the Sun -- Joseph Arthur
I think this is a great contemplative travel song, one that I'd probably play while walking through a quiet landscape or maybe looking down at one.  There are so many beautiful elements to this song, and it's one that makes me stop and pay attention every time I hear it.  I think it'd be a perfect way to put myself wholeheartedly into the present moment.

City of Blinding Light -- U2
This song is super catchy and super upbeat.  I like most of what U2 does, but speaking from experience this is a fantastic song for driving at night (especially in the city...with lights).  It just has one of those hooks that makes you feel like the night (or day) could go on forever.

Cape Canaveral -- Conor Oberst
 This is another one that I just enjoy listening to.  It makes me want to tap my foot a little and just let it wash over me, wherever I am and whatever I'm doing.  That, and I think the part about the actual Cape Canaveral probably has something to do with it-- because what means of travel is cooler than a rocket ship?

No Sound But the Wind -- Editors
Not only is this song about McCarthy's novel The Road (and I love me some songs about books, naturally), but it's just so epic.  For me it conjures the image of a dark road at night, quiet and abandoned, rolling along and watching the lines on the pavement swim past you.

Transatlanticism -- Death Cab for Cutie
I would posit that this song is terrific background music for a lot of the more solemn occasions in life.  And for me, travel often qualifies as one of those.  This track is great for a long walk, for staring out the window of a plane or train, or even sailing.


Bittersweet Symphony -- The Verve
This song is probably on this list almost solely because of the scene in Cruel Intentions where it plays as Reese Witherspoon drives away.  Is it not the perfect "heading out on the (literal or metaphorical) road" song?  I defy you to disagree.

Sound of Silence -- Simon & Garfunkel
 Maybe it's the amount of TV and movie montages in which I've seen this song used, but for me it evokes thoughts of transition, of change and of the inevitability that things will move forward, with or without you.  This is a thought I have often when traveling, even when that traveling is just a walk around my own neighborhood.  I feel very small sometimes, in the best way, especially compared to the nature around me, and this song accompanies that feeling very well.

Soundtrack Series, Part Two: Sounds of Love

I'm not a romantic.  Okay, I actually think that sometimes I am a romantic, but not in the way you'd expect.  I hate chick flicks and happy endings.  I'm not planning on waiting around for "Mr. Right" to find me in the hopes that we'll ride off into the sunset together.  The roles of wife and mother don't really appeal to me at all, especially in competition with writer or teacher or any number of ambitions I haven't yet discovered.

But I believe in love.  All of my stories feature it pretty heavily; the novel I'm writing is pretty much a 300 page treatise on why when we lose our ability to love we lose ourselves.  And I have a soundtrack, not a formal one, but a cluster of songs in the back of my mind that remind me of what love feels like, what it sounds like.  As you might expect, they're not all happy (all right, I'm lying, most of them are pretty melancholy) but the meaning they've got packed into them is worth a million crappy pop songs about soul mates and dating and weddings.

**And no, I'm not sure what it means that so many of them have one-word titles.
 
Faithfully -- Journey
If I am ever visited by the urge to get married and I have a wedding and there's a first dance, this song is it, beyond a doubt.  Not only do I unabashedly adore Journey, I love the epic build of this song.  And of course I'm a sucker for the lyrics, too.  As if none of that were enough, my love for this song was only reinforced tenfold when I heard it covered on "Glee" by the fantastic Lea Michele (and Cory Monteith), though I would definitely insist on the original version at my wedding.

Honestly-- Bethany Joy Lenz
It's not a secret that most of these are songs more focused on the heartbreak side of love than the warm & fuzzy (what can I say, it's who I am).  This song is about regret, but it's also about the endurance of loving someone even after things have gone south.  Take this line "I'm so glad you're far away/Is that a terrible thing to say?/Still I wonder if you're okay..."  Yes, she's nursing a broken heart and maybe even bruised pride, but there's still love there, and I think with any relationship that's ended it's important to remember that you loved that person once upon a time.

Someday We'll Know -- Mandy Moore and Jonathan Foreman
 Something else I'm a sucker for:  the couple who can't be together or shouldn't be together because of circumstances beyond them.  Yes, it's true that there are a lot of people who like these types of stories, but I think I'm in the minority in that I don't root for them to defy the odds/overcome whatever obstacle is impeding them.  I prefer them longing for each other, moving forward as individuals, and maybe even learning something from the experience.  The two people in this song haven't figured it out yet, but they will, and the romantic side of me loves that.

Yellow -- Coldplay
Whoever it was that introduced Chris Martin to odes and/or to songwriting, thank you.  This song is just such a beautiful tribute to a person who is literally the light of another person's life.  I can't say much more about this (my words wouldn't do it justice), so I'll just say that I'm pretty sure it's a no-brainer on a list of love songs.

Iris -- Goo Goo Dolls
Another pretty obvious/typical choice, but I had to stick it on here.  "You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be"-- what person, romantic or not, wouldn't want to hear something to that effect?  We also get a strong sense of the person singing the song as a complicated, even troubled figure, and the subject of the song being a source of salvation and comfort.  It's not a story song, but it makes you want to know the story behind it.

Someone Like You -- Adele
There had to be a song in here about the one that got away.  It's a staple of every love song list, and Adele's contribution to the catalog is nothing short of phenomenal.  There is something so raw and beautiful about every aspect of this song-- the simply piano, the lyrics dripping with longing, and of course that absurdly beautiful voice (I'm pretty sure she could cover just about any song and I'd love it).  When I discovered this one, it shot straight to the Most Played on my Ipod; there's just something about it you won't be able to get out of your head.

For the Nights I Can't Remember -- Hedley
 This one's a great song from a pretty unknown Canadian band, and it's all about appreciating all the things, big and small, that the person you love does for you.  It's about wanting to be a better person in return, because of how much you love them.  And it's got that alt-rock vibe that I thoroughly dug during my high school daydreaming phase (not to mention the fact that it was featured on Degrassi, which is pretty much the epitome of adolescent understandings of love).

 
Your Ex-Lover is Dead -- Stars
This is probably my favorite breakup song ever.  There's so much venom in such simple lines, and it's sad while also expressing a push to move forward.   I love the way they take literally the idea of forgetting or un-knowing someone you used to really love, and the way it comes to a resolution.  Best lines:  "I'm not sorry I met you/I'm not sorry it's over/I'm not sorry there's nothing to save."

Call It Off -- Tegan and Sara


The Temptation of Adam -- Josh Ritter
I absolutely love songs that tell a story, and this is one of my all-time favorites.  In about 4 minutes of song, Josh Ritter weaves a beautiful little tale of two people assigned to man a nuclear arsenal beneath the ground, and naturally they fall in love.  The temptation is "Adam's" impulse to simply allow the world above them to end so that they can continue to be together.  I've read a lot of pretty intense love stories in my time, but I think there's something uniquely moving about this one.

First Day of My Life -- Bright Eyes
I've seen this on a few occasions recently as a wedding song, and while some have scoffed that it's a hipster choice, I disagree.  It's a simple little song, and Conor Oberst's vocals leave much to be desired at times, but the beauty is in the simplicity, in the offbeat-ness of it.  "I'm glad I didn't die before I met you," Oberst sings, and isn't that how we all feel about the ones we love?

Come Home -- One Republic
This song, one of One Republic's best in my opinion, is truly beautiful.  Half plaintive plea, half "dreaming out loud" about a better world, it gets across something that is very difficult to articulate.  I think there's definitely a message here that it's okay to need people, as long as you can appreciate that there is still some beauty in your life without them, it would just be clearer if they were around.  Additionally, the version featuring Sara Bareilles on the second verse is even more gorgeous than the album cut.