A Review of Tina Fey's Bossypants

I finished reading Bossypants by Tina Fey in a little over a week. For a lot of readers out there, that's not really that impressive considering the book is only 275 pages and is set in a slightly bigger font, but for those of you who know my terrible reading habits this is pretty amazing. (No, seriously, I honestly can't remember the last time I finished an entire book without jumping to a new one half way through the one I was currently reading. I call this phenomenon "Reader's ADD".)

In Bossypants, Tina Fey, vaguely, reveals where the scar on her chin came from, she tells us about her time touring with the infamous Second City with Amy Poehler, when she was interviewed for a writing job on Saturday Night Live by Lorne Michaels, the time she had to tell Sylvester Stallone to enunciate during her first week at SNL, and her time on the show on camera. Fey also writes about her multiple Emmy Award winning show, 30 Rock, dealing with things celebrities have to do, like photo shoots, trying to be a champion of brown hair to her daughter, the double standard about women in comedy, and, of course, her stint as Sarah Palin on SNL after she was no longer a cast member.

Fey writes in a personal, friendly way—making you feel as though she was just telling you a story over lunch (the lunch part might just be my imagination as she is my pretend best friend). It is engaging, honest, and very funny. Needless to say, I absolutely loved it and I was sad when it ended because I wanted more.

Sexual Fluidity, Reviewed

Sexual Fluidity chronicles Lisa M. Diamond's study of 100 young women over the course of 10 years to try to understand the nature of women's love and desire. If you're worried that reading this will be difficult because it's academic, do be, Diamond's writing is accessible and enjoyable to read. In Sexual Fluidity, Diamond delves into the science behind attraction and lust, love and infatuation. She reveals that biology plays as large a part in who we partner with as anything else, and that women's preferences toward one gender or another can fluctuate wildly over the span of a lifetime. Freud touched on this with his Polymorphous Perversity theory stating that children up to the age of five had no sexual preference to one gender or another until they were taught to repress sexuality into socially normal behavior creating heterosexual adults. He may have been on to something, but this was never really studied properly and it was dismissed at the time, like a good portion of Freud's work, because of its perverse nature. Now, in the age of outspoken and accepted homosexuality, a proper study has been done. The findings in Sexual Fluidity probably won't come to a surprise to most women, and it may even help some women understand that they aren't alone in their confusing attractions. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in or curious about gender studies and psychology, which happen to be the two fields Lisa M. Diamond is an Associate Professor of at the University of Utah.

On Thursday, March 31st, at 6pm, Lisa M. Diamond will be joining us in-store to discuss her book Sexual Fluidity. We hope you'll join us (it's free and open to the public!)!

The Epic Saga of Reading Infinite Jest

On April 29, 2010, I began an epic journey. I put aside my fears of books over the 400 page mark (aside from Harry Potter) and decided to read David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. Why? It's hard to explain, but I was getting tired of reading short stories and novellas, and I wanted to read something that would feel like an accomplishment when I finish. Not to mention the fact that so many of my online friends have been talking about, and quoting, Infinite Jest and David Foster Wallace non-stop lately. It felt like the right time to pick up the brick of a tome, coming in at 1079 pages I think it's safe to consider it a brick. I have no idea how long it will take me, especially considering it's not the only book I'm reading due to queereads, but I'm determined to finish it. This will not be another one of the many that end up in the pile of half-read books. It's also the only book I've felt the need to write in, no underlining or marginalia (I love when I can use the word 'marginalia'), but I wrote the date I bought and started reading it in pencil on the first page so I can remember how long it took me to read. Now that I've started reading Infinite Jest and love it so much already, I want to read all of his other books too. I've had a copy of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men at home for a while and never got around to reading it, now I'm glad I have it to read when I eventually finish Infinite Jest. It's highly likely that I'll pick up a few more of his books, some essays perhaps, before I'm ready to read them just so I'll have them at hand when I have the time. I also got a copy of Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace by David Lipsky and I read the first 20 pages of that on lunch yesterday. I couldn't help myself, I think David Foster Wallace is an addiction and I don't want an intervention.

Warning! Spoilers after the jump.

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde

I admittedly did not know much about Audre Lorde when I began reading “Zami”. Growing up behind the Orange Curtain, we didn’t learn about black lesbian poets. When I sat on my couch reading for two days trying to finish the book before queereads, I became enthralled in her story. It felt as though she was sitting with me, reading to me, telling her story to me, just me. I felt like I connected to her, in some small way, a way in which I am not quite sure exists. When I was nearly two hundred pages in, I decided to look her up online to learn more, beyond the wonderful book I was holding in my hands. I didn’t know she had died nearly seventeen years ago of breast cancer. When I read this, my mind was jarred for a moment. And in that moment, I grasped the book tighter placing my hand over the printed words on the page to protect them. I thought, for that moment, that they might lift from the page and disappear, they seemed less stable, more apt to move around. I feared that the story would come undone. My image of her was changed, I thought she was still thriving and loving and writing. And now to read this vivid story of her youth makes me sad to know she is no longer around, and that there is no chance of me ever meeting her and getting to talk to this wonderful, brilliant, beautiful woman. The book, written ten years before her death and two years before my birth, is filled with visceral memories of childhood and food. Oh, the food - it did not help that I was quite hungry while I was reading her lengthy descriptions of the smells and tastes of home cooked meals. It was filled with her many different jobs and friends and lovers. “Zami” showed me a world I would never be a part of, the underground gay-girl scene in New York, particularly from the point of view of a black woman. I didn’t know that in the fifties, even in a bar specifically for dykes, the women had to be wearing at least three items of traditional female attire or they could be arrested for transvestitism. I didn't want to finish reading the book because that would mean my journey with her was over.

While online, I found a clip of Ms. Lorde reading one of her poems, A Song for Many Movements. Her voice was just as I had imagined it, smooth and steady and safe. I knew I had heard her reading to me, telling me her tale. I urge you to read this book, gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, queer, whatever you prefer to call yourself, man or woman or somewhere in between. This book will change you for the better.

Coraline, So Fine

About a week ago I went to see Coraline in 3D. It blew my mind, I found myself whispering "wow" with a child-like wonder. The story was fantastic, and the animation-stop motion-was nothing short of spectacular, especially in 3D. I had wanted to read the book for some time and bought one with the cover shown here that is numbered and signed by Gaiman and McKean. The only problem was that it was so nice that I didn't want to read it. A couple of days ago I picked up a cheap little paperback to have as a reading copy, so my nice one could just sit on the shelf and look pretty. Gaiman is a great story teller. He so simply gets to the extraordinary that it seems believable, and that that world could exist somewhere. I found a lot of truth in Coraline's story. A girl who simply wants to be noticed by her parents who are too busy working to spend time with her, so she discovers a world where her "other" parents seem to be a dream. They cook her food that she likes, and they play with her, and everything seems the way she's always wanted it, the only weird part is that they have buttons for eyes. Everything seems great until things begin to go wrong and become scary and Coraline realizes how much she wants her real parents back and that she just wants to go home.
I don't want to leave out Dave McKean's fabulous illustrations, they add that little bit of extra creepiness to Gaiman's already creepy story.
This will be one of those rare times when the book and the movie are both great, so I encourage you to see the movie (try to see it in 3D, I promise you won't regret it!) AND read the book. I'm nearly through half of the book and I'm finding it a really quick read, and even though I know what will happen because I saw the movie, I can't wait to read those parts of the book to find out what's different.

My New Favorite Book

Joyce Carol Oates is one of the most prolific writers out there, with this said, I have never actually read one of her books because I didn’t know where to start. I bought a copy of “The Assignation”, a collection of short stories. I read a few of those, which were great, and came across possibly the most influential book I have ever read, “The Faith of a Writer”. This book is a collection of essays about the process of writing, the craft of writing, her childhood, inspiration, advice to young writers, and so much more. From the moment I opened to the first page and began reading, I’ve loved every word, sentence, paragraph, essay, every syllable, and every insight. To anyone who loves to write, I recommend this book with the highest praise. Thank you, Joyce Carol Oates, for this amazing book.

Brideshead Revisited Review

Is it possible to have everything and feel as if you have nothing? Charles Ryder meets Lord Sebastian Flyte at Oxford in 1922. Through his friendship with Sebastian, Ryder is thrust into the center of a life of immense privilege. Ultimately Ryder ends up questioning everything that he believes about truth and faith. I had not seen the famous tv series, or read any Waugh novels before. As I understand this book is very different from his more satirical works. There is comedy in here, Waugh does an excellent job of skewering the wealthy.

The frivolity and entitlement that appears in Sebastian's Oxford crowd is pretty amusing. Through the middle class eyes of Ryder one can see the intoxication of it all for a first time college student. They encourage and praise drunken partying but then bail when anything turns dangerous. The satire is ripe as they pontificate about art and bohemianism while drinking champagne served by their valets. Bohemians indeed, Waugh is winking at us.

I was shocked but not surprised by how the Marchmain's react to Sebastian's behavior. Lady Marchmain is a well drawn character of someone who believes in molding and controlling her children's every move. Heaven forbid they be allowed to make their own mistakes and choose their own paths.

Surprisingly in the latter third of the book Waugh takes on a serious discussion of the affects of Catholicism. Ryder's atheism and philosophy is very well paralleled by the Marchmain's stark Catholic belief. The fates of Ryder, Sebastian, and Julia make a stark argument that everyone needs faith of some kind. The comfort or pain of faith is determined by the individual. Waugh seems to indicate that religion is a reflection of it's patrons.

This book was more philosophic then I thought it would be. It's a rich text and not nearly as stuffy as I expected. Waugh managed to pull me in. I was glad to be taken away to Brideshead at least for awhile.

To read more of my book musings click here.

Falling Angel

Where is Johnny Favorite? That is what Detective Harry Angel is trying to find out in "Falling Angel" by William Hjortsberg.

Released in October of 1978, just in time for Halloween, readers were introduced to Detective Harry Angel, a good old fashioned pulp-type detective. He is hired by Louis Cyphre (sound familiar?) to find an old-time musician named Johnny Favorite who was last seen about fifteen years prior to the novel's 1959 New York setting.

From the moment he takes the case, Angel runs into strange things that just don't add up. He meets some people who are anything but normal church-going folk. He learns that Johnny Favorite may have been into voodoo as some of the people he has interviewed begin to turn up dead in ritualistic ways. And he falls for an enchanting girl who happens to be a voodoo priestess and may be Johnny Favorite's daughter.

This fast-paced mystery/thriller grips you from page one and doesn't let up until the beautifully executed twist at the end that will finally make you sit back in the chair you've been teetering on the edge of. If Raymond Chandler had written "The Exorcist", this would be the result. This was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best First Mystery Novel in 1979, and should have won in my opinion.

I read "Falling Angel" in about three days, which for me is amazing. A little bit about myself: I tend to have a lot of half-read books, not because the book was bad, but because my attention span for such things tends to run a little short after about a week. So this one grabbed a hold of my attention and clutched it white-knuckled until I finished. "Falling Angel" is tense, tight, thrilling, and highly recommended.

Love is a Mix Tape Review

Is there a song or artist that you feel defines a moment in your life? In his debut novel Love Is A Mix Tape writer Rob Sheffield uses music/mix tapes as a framework in this memoir. As someone who also likes to surround herself with music I could easily understand this correlation of music and memory. It is an excellent device and I enjoyed the mixture of the aural and the written word.

Sheffield mostly discusses music of the late 80s and 90s which is an era that I know very well. I think because of that I was able to connect with several chapters especially his chapter about Kurt Cobain. However the problem with this is that if you have not ever heard of the music that he's talking about then your enjoyment can be limited.

I think that Sheffield makes up for that by inserting an immense emotional hook. His elegy to his wife is heartbreaking and even had this stoic tearing up. Using music to cope with grief Sheffield is not afraid to show honest emotion on the page. It is this aspect that I think creates a universal appeal.

If you'd like to read more of my book musings feel free to click here.

Best Weller's Program: August-September pick

Every two months the new book buyers at Sam Weller's select an exceptional book to review and recommend to our fellow readers. To show our support of the quality of the book, we offer it at Weller's for 20% off cover price!
Our pick for August-September is The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry. Read our review on our e-newsletter BOOKTALK.
Enjoy highly-recommended books for 20% off at Weller's..

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

What if you were born old and grew younger? This is the question in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this story, Benjamin Button is born to Mr. and Mrs. Roger Button in 1860 an old man of around seventy with wispy white hair and a long smoke-colored beard able to ask Mr. Roger Button if he was his father on the day of his birth. By the time he's eighteen, Benjamin Button looks to be around fifty, and this continues throughout his life that those around him, his family, his wife, would look older as he regressed in age. This story is full of magic and composed so brilliantly that it has been published in multiple collections of short stories by Fitzgerald and even as its own stand-alone book (the perfect size to take with you on a car or plane ride and keep you entertained until you reach your destination). This fall, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" can be seen in theatres. An adaptation written by Eric Roth (writer of "Munich" and "The Good Shepherd") and directed by David Fincher (director of "Se7en", "Fight Club", and "Zodiac"), it stars Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button along side an amazing cast including Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. Take note, this looks to be an Oscar contender, the trailer alone gave me chills. If you want something short, or different, or something with characters you can actually care about, I highly recommend picking up a copy of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", you won't regret it!


*And make sure to read this before you see the film, no excuses, the stand-alone book is barely 52 pages long.