Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 24

LITTLE SAINT NICK
Artist: The Beach Boys

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 23

YOU'RE A MEAN ONE, MR. GRINCH

Artist: Thurl Ravenscroft

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 22

SNOW MISER/HEAT MISER
Artist: The Year Without Santa

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 21

SILVER AND GOLD
Artist: Burl Ives

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 20

STEP INTO CHRISTMAS
Artist: Elton John

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 19

JINGLE BELLS
Artist: Janick Thibault

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Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on the World's Greatest Scientific Expedition by Stephen R. Bown

3 Stars

"During the Age of Sail scurvy was indirectly responsible for more deaths at sea than storms, combat, shipwreck, and all other diseases combined and was in fact the cause of shipwrecks when men who were too ill and weakened to haul ropes or climb the rigging allowed a ship to be driven on the rocks or flounder and be swamped by mighty waves."

Reasons I read this book:

1) Feral blue foxes attack!
2) Kamchatka, my prior knowledge only consisted of the need to acquire and hold it in order to win Risk, the game that never ends.
3) Boats, boats... BOATS

Honestly, there was so much stupidity, bad judgment, and poor leadership that a good portion of the participants deserved to die. Driven by the capricious punishments meted out by the various emperors/empresses that oversaw the Great Expedition an atmosphere of caution blossomed. This affected all persons in power, but ultimately the greatest responsibility lay with Captain Bering, the expedition leader. The need to placate the multitude of subgroups during the arduous land journey labeled the Captain as overly cautious and the other naval officers began to lose confidence even before they built the ships, let alone set sail. This was a monumental endeavor that was poorly planned and like all things depended on supply chain management to succeed, which they had none of. Essentially, the politicians and academics in the cozy city of Moscow had zero understanding of the existing conditions and how ridiculous their expectations were. Nonetheless, as the responsible party, Bering's life was on the line, not just fortune, but he also stood a good chance of being imprisoned if he failed.

What did we get from the Great Expedition? Outrageous debt and provinces that were driven into the ground trying to "host" the multi-thousand person process, opening of the east in a Wild West atmosphere of the tens of thousands of exiled malcontents from Moscow that led to indigenous abuses, and extinctions of animals that only exist in Stellar's records but were abundant when they visited.

And the promise of knowledge that would prove Russia as enlightened, Peter the Great's vision, was stifled so that economic factors could be exploited before a mad rush would ensue.

The story was a bit slow, but excellent documentation, if limited sources, provided by the quotes taken from personal logs. This is well suited to someone coming to it with no knowledge. The first fifty pages was basic Russian history explaining Peter the Great and the impetus for the expedition itself. Other czars/czarinas are mentioned in terms of the court atmosphere and how the changes affected the expedition and its participants, mostly notably, at the onset foreigners were welcomed and fulfilled many positions with the Academy, but by the end most had been turned out.

It was interesting, but the foxes didn't start until page 170 :/
Yes, I am the kind of person that makes Donner Party jokes.

Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 18

DECEMBER SONG
Artist: George Michael

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 17

SIMPLY HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME

Artist: Paul McCartney

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 16

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Artist: Coldplay

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 15

THANK GOD IT'S CHRISTMAS
Artist: Queen

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 14

WHEN MY HEART FINDS CHRISTMAS
Artist: Harry Connick, Jr.

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 13

SHAKE UP CHRISTMAS
Artist: Train

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 12

FATHER CHRISTMAS
Artist: The Kinks

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 11

CHRISTMAS WRAPPING
Artist: The Waitresses

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 10

SLEIGH RIDE

Artist: August Burns Red

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 9

CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY
Artist: Simple Plan

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 8

CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME)

Artist: Death Cab for Cutie

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 7

XMAS TIME OF THE YEAR
Artist: Green Day

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NO IS NOT ENOUGH: RESISTING TRUMP'S SHOCK POLITICS AND WINNING THE WORLD WE NEED by Naomi Klein

3.5 Stars

My Key Takeaway: Advocate what you are for, not what you're against. Voice it.

This is such a contentious issue that I don't think most people will read it. I was a bit hesitant, but I have to say that while this is a progressive, left-leaning book, Klein does an excellent job supporting her position, whether you agree with it or not.

This is more interested in framing the problems that led to where the US, and the world, stands in regards to governance. The decisions we make as populations by our choice of leadership and the consequences. And Klein proposes a radical counterstrategy, don't try to regain just what's been lost, go for it all.

Trump is a symptom of a huge problem. A really ugly symptom, like a an oozing pus-filled wound, but he's not the origin. He merely took advantage of it and now he's actively deconstructing the government, gutting it, to benefit profiteers.

He's running a really loud show. It's drowning out EVERYTHING but him.

Worst part?

Only through intersectionality will we overcome the challenges--yeah, I'm not that optimistic. We are so fucked.

This book is not me. I am a centrist. According to Klein, I'm part of the problem. That's fine. I prefer chipping away and rebuilding to the violence of upheaval--others may feel differently.

Little ad lib: One of the best things I ever learned regarding customer service complaints, and government is customer service, is that you have to state the problem and tell the company/government/service provider what they can do to resolve the situation to your satisfaction. It has to be something realistically possible. I have always been either satisfied with a company's response or taken my business elsewhere, but engaging with the other party to seek resolution is a key component.

Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 6

WHITE CHRISTMAS
Artist: Panic! At the Disco

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 5

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU
Artist: My Chemical Romance

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Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 4

MERRY CHRISTMAS, KISS MY ASS
Artist: All Time Low
Album: Dirty Work

Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass video link

Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 3

THE TWELVE GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS
Artist: Allan Sherman
Album: Dr. Demento Presents the Greatest Christmas Novelty CD of All Time

The Twelve Gifts of Christmas, video link

Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 2

AMERICAN JESUS
Artist: Bad Religion
Album: Recipe For Hate & Christmas Songs

American Jesus by Bad Religion video link

THE MISTLETOE MURDER by PD James

4 Stars

Cozy mystery meets satire.

I selected this book for THE MISTLETOE MURDER short story for my Yule season reading.  I may or may not read the other selections at a later date. Shocking to have to admit, but this is my first PD James story. I know, I know. What have I bee doing with my life. Nonetheless, I am happy to have begun the author journey with this little gem.

An English country manor Christmas setting shines with it's ragged World War II charm as the first person narrator takes us through the incident. It all seems so very civil, until it's not. Nothing sordid or graphic per se, but the means of violence definitely made me smile as did the zinger at the end of the tale. Like a friendly slap to the face. Nicely done.

Fabulous start, and nice addition to my Yule list.

Musical Calendar Countdown - Dec. 1

DON'T SHOOT ME SANTA
Artist: The Killers
Album: Don't Waste Your Wishes

Don't Shoot Me, Santa by The Killers video

CHEMISTRY by Weike Wang

3 Stars

Life choices. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

1. How academia screwed you over.
Well, you want to relive your postgraduate years? Or even better, the wasted years before you said, "Screw it!" and bailed. Revel in the masochistic torture.

2. How your family baggage drags you down.
The good, the bad, and the ugly. Family, there's nothing like it.

A year into our dating, Eric says he wants to understand me and not just from a distance or through what he calls my ten-inch thick bulletproof glass.
Behind this glass, he says, he found more glass.

3. How as a female there is a constant battle between self and couplehood, a sacrifice of self.
The choices of a relationship or no relationship. That moment when you realize that you're both not on the same track anymore and veering further off course from each other. Love and caring has nothing to do with the impending failure--you're drifting.

All three together? The triumvirate of relationship silver bullets. You're going down.

I don't know if this is interesting to others or not. Anyone who's been through the grad student process is going to feel empathy, the science focus is how it's framed, but the underlying strains aren't different. You know, the circle jerk of academia.

I guess the unique viewpoint is more the Chinese American lens. The stereotypes and the cultural differences, especially the familial obligations and deference of self for the whole, which is in many ways antithetical to the American ideal that is sold as the gold standard.

Then, there's the issue of being female and trying to determine yourself as a separate entity from your significant other. The struggle to be a Person and not just part of a couple. I like the discussion about it between two friends; their different lives and choices.

Please just stop and let me catch up. How do you expect me to marry you if you never let me catch up? 

This isn't a happy story. Then again, a lot of life isn't. Definitely worth reading if ANY of the three points above interest you.

Parting thought:

The optimist sees the glass half full. The pessimist sees the glass half empty. The chemist sees the glass completely full, half in a liquid state, half in a gaseous state, both of which are probably poisonous. 

DEXTER IN THE DARK by Jeff Lindsay

3 Stars

I really should have liked this more.

I stood up. It was all too much. I could not even meet my own expectations, and to be asked to deal with all theirs was too suffocating. 

Dexter's growth during this book is good, a solid advancement of his character rather than just rinse and repeat that afflicts so many series. The majority of it is driven by external forces, Dexter's interaction with other characters, but in this episode the Dark Passenger takes center stage.

I closed my eyes and listened to the novel emotions gurgling through me. Feeling--what authentic human fun. Next, I could join a bowling league.

Dexter's relationship with Rita is advancing rapidly and her children, Astor and Cody are looking forward to their new father.

And even worse, I could tell that somehow it had become my problem; the children expected me to bail them out, and Rita was clearly prepared to lock and load and open fire on me. 

The thing that did not work for me was the heavy-handed omniscient viewpoint. I found it too fantastical and a clumsy attempt at explaining the Dark Passenger and the story would have been fine without it. It was dissatisfying.

Words to live by:

"No, it's not fair," I said. "Nothing in life is fair. Fair is a dirty word and I'll thank you not to use that language around me."

DEAR IJEAWELE, OR A FEMINIST MANIFESTO IN FIFTEEN SUGGESTIONS by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

3.5 Stars

People will selectively use "tradition" to justify anything.

Simply put and well-stated. The epistolary format of feminist tenets worked beautifully, especially for those still trying to grasp the essentialism of it. It's really not hard, most of it is humanism that emphasizes not privileging gender.

Your feminist premise should be: I matter. I matter equally.

WITHOUT qualifiers.

The second tool is a question: Can I reverse X and get the same results?

Or as the adage goes, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. The concept of gender equality is not hard; the execution is the work. And this letter written to the friend and mother of a newborn daughter and that journey that awaits are guideposts.

Personally, there are two that I think are the most difficult to overcome, today. The first is "likability" and frankly, in a social media world, I'm wondering if we're all going backwards. Civility and likability are not the same thing.

Teach her that she is not merely an object to be liked or disliked, she is also a subject who can like or dislike.

The second hurdle entail sexuality and how society frames it different for men and women.

The shame we attach to female sexuality is about control.

We all make mistakes, do things that are less admirable. The key is make amends as necessary and try again. This is it. Life is not a dress rehearsal.

Final thoughts:

Not all women are feminists and not all men are misogynists.

AND...

Saintliness is not a prerequisite for dignity.

EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid

3.5 Stars

Mutability and evanescence.

[F]or when we migrate, we murder from our lives those we leave behind.

I thought that it would be a hardcore focus on emigration, and it did revolve around it, but it wasn't the primary objective. The relationship of Saeed and Nadia, their deconstructing world, transverse, and reconstruction and how all these movements affect them and the way they interact is paramount. And I was a little surprised, probably because I didn't read any reviews prior to diving in.

The discussions invoked here are good. The questions and thoughts fomented are interesting without being a sledgehammer to the head. I'm not sure how much I liked this, but I did. I ended up thinking about what does one hold on to, and what does one let go?

Blah...

When you have good books and don't want to read any of them.

LOST BOY by Christina Henry

3.5 Stars

"Peter's idea of fun was considerably more savage than his."

This was a quick read. The first portion of the story reminded me a great deal of LORD OF THE FLIES, albeit more gory and less allegory. The innocence of PETER PAN is twisted into something very dark, here. I don't want to ruin the fun of it, so I'm not going to expand further on the storyline other than to say it does an very interesting job exploring some previously untold backstory.

"They weren't forever young, unless dying when you were young kept you that way for always."

I enjoyed this, but it is not sophisticated; it's an engaging retelling, a twist of the kaleidoscope. I don't think I'll ever reread it, but it was a fun ride. If you like what WICKED did for THE WIZARD OF OZ than you'll like this.

SACRE BLEU: A COMEDY D'ART by Christopher Moore

4 Stars

"Why are you lying on the floor?"
"Solidarity. And we ran out of cognac. This is my preferred out of cognac posture."

Ooh la la! Yes, this is absolutely an art history wankfest. Some of it, actually a good deal of it is startlingly true and there are some liberties taken for the story's sake, but I have to say that all the little toss away lines, the references for Michelangelo, cave paintings in France to Artemisia Gentileschi evidence a great deal of thought and research. The elements work well with the storyline.

"No, a fucking cat. It's a theme, Lucien. The name of the place is Le Chat Noire."
"Yes, but when you did the poster for the Moulin Rouge you didn't do a clown fucking a windmill."
"Sadly, no, they rejected my first drawings. And I'm good friends with one of the clowns there, Cha-U-Kao. She would have modeled for me. She's both a clown and a lesbian. At the same time! Art weeps for the missed opportunity."
"You could still paint her," said Lucien.
"No. She hates cats. But what magnificent symbolism that would be. I tell you, Lucien, these symbolists, Redon and Gaugin, they're on to something."

To successfully mock something requires a familiarity of the material beyond recitation. It necessitates being able to take knowledge and twist it. Moore does a fantastic job creating an engaging mystery set in Post Impressionist Paris. Impressionism and Post Impressionism are not my favorites, so I was surprised that I enjoyed this vision as much as I did. Honestly, I've never had a fond feeling for Toulouse-Lautrec, but this really does a bang up job of presenting an alternate view of him.

"I have done some experiments with absinthe, and I can attest that it has dangerous hallucinogenic powers, in particular the ability to make homely women appear attractive."
"Well, it's eighty percent alcohol and the wormwood in it is poisonous. I suspect what you are seeing are glimpses of your own death."
"Yes, but with exquisite bosoms. How do you explain those?"

The mystery of Bleu, the Sacre Bleu... I'm not going to spoil it. It's good. Definitely entertaining and one can expect that requisite Moore vulgarity, lighthearted attitude towards violence, and wit.

"Forgive me, I didn't realize you were both deaf and a buffoon. I am, as I was ten seconds ago the Count Henri-Marie-Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa, and I am looking for Carmen Gaudin." Henri was finding the detective work did not agree with his constitution as it involved talking to people who were odd or stupid, without the benefit of the calming effect of alcohol.

OR...

Lucien looked to each of them then grimaced. "Good God, Henri, is that smell coming from you?"
"I was going to come right over as soon as I heard you were awake, but the girls insisted on giving me a bath first. I sat vigil for you for a week, my friend."
"One sits vigil over the dying, not ten blocks away, on a pile of whores, out of his mind on opium and absinthe." 

If you're offended by any of the quotes then Moore is really not an author I'd recommend, but for others, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I found the syphilis jokes entertaining, too. Seriously, it's pretty interesting how many of the artists died of syphilis and Toulouse-Lautrec, for all his infamous brothel living, was not one of them!

Words to live by:

"That's a horrible plan."
"Yes, but I have chosen to ignore that."

CAIN by José Saramago

3 Stars

"Blessed are those who choose sedition because theirs is the kingdom of Earth."

CAIN is to the Old Testament as DECAMERON is to 14th century (Catholic) Church.

One could argue, quite easily that it is blasphemous. Cain is the protagonist in this time traveling jaunt through the highlights of 'What was God thinking?' in the Old Testament.

This is small taste as Cain witnesses a discussion between Abraham and Isaac:

"Father, I don't understand this religion, But you have to, my son you have no choice, and now I must make a request, a humble request, What is it, Let us forget what happened here, Well, I am not sure I can, father, I can still see myself bound, lying on top of the pyre, and your arm raised, the blade of the knife glinting, That wasn't me, I would never do such a thing in my right mind, Do you mean that the lord makes people mad, asked isaac, Yes, he often does, almost always, replied abraham, Even if that were true, you were still the one with the knife in your hand, [...]

I transcribed this exactly as presented in my ebook copy, including lack of full stops which is a little tricky with the dialogue shifts since the only clue is first letter capitalization. The lack of proper name capitalization was less disconcerting. That said, the formatting made this more difficult. I don't know if the print version has a different layout so it resemble verse instead of prose, but as this is, my eyes had a hard time tracking and skipped lines which necessitated rereading. It was least favorite part of the book.

This book is basically a humorous version of the thoughts that go through my mind when faced with the Bible.

"The road to self-deception is narrow to begin with, but there is always someone to broaden it out, for as the proverb says, self-deception is like eating or scratching, it's all a matter of beginning."

And for any persons feeling the need to tell me I'm going to hell, don't bother.

I feel like I've made progress. Usually when I take these quizzes, I end up in level 7 with the warmongers and suicidals drowning in a river of boiling blood.

Buzzfeed Quiz:  Which Circle of Hell are You Going to?

Favorite quote: 

According to the ancients, the devil's wiles would never prevail over the will of god, but I'm not sure now that things are that simple, it seems likely that satan is just another instrument of lord, the one who does the dirty work to which god prefers not to put his name.

THESE OLD SHADES by Georgette Heyer

4 Stars

GAH! I adore Georgian period romances. The ridiculous extravagance and theatricality of action and costume are simply divine.

"I thought you disliked melodrama, my friend?"
"I do; but I have a veritable passion for--justice."
"You've nourished thoughts of vengeance--for twenty years?"

Other pluses which definitely made this a win: Heroine disguised as a boy, swordplay as well as hoydenish behaviors overlaid with a sweet naïveté; and an older sworn bachelor and renown rake charmed back into life's pleasure from the malaise of ennui. It's Pygmalion with far more entertaining circumstances.

The button of her foil came to rest below his left shoulder.
"Touche," said Avon. "That was rather better, infant."
Leonie danced in her excitement.
"Monseigneur, I have killed you! You are dead! You are dead!"
"You display an unseemly joy," he remarked. "I had no notion you were so bloodthirsty."

If you like historical romances, brats, and an age difference then you really can't go wrong, here. I feel rather silly that the title was so off-putting to me that I failed to read it earlier. And yes, I comprehended the ancient Greek concept of shade, but dismissed the opportunity. Rather stupid of me, to be honest.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN by Cormac McCarthy

4 Stars

Reflections, times they are a changing. Aren't they always, and not. 

There aint no such thing as a bargain promise.

This is one of those 'things set in motion' stories. You know there's a train wreck coming and you're just holding on, watching it speeding towards you. A sense of the inevitable, that's the overwhelming feeling of this book from the individual events occurring to life itself. There's no escaping the past because it's what's led you to where you are, right now. It's not fate; it's consequences.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

I'm going to go off on a tangent now, so feel free to stop reading or skip ahead. Since the 2016 election my reading has dramatically altered course as I search for an answer. I see all the pieces, I understand the the real basis of discontent, but of all the choices available it was the most destructive option chosen and it confused/confuses me. Chaos was chosen willingly, enthusiastically. 

But it was a foolish thing to do. A vain thing to do. Do you understand? 

Do I understand? 

Yes. 

Do you have any notion of how goddamned crazy you are? 

The nature of this conversation? 

The nature of you.

A battle royale. A Game of Thrones. 

That's the opening scene. It's stark and beautiful and horrifyingly relevant. Death. And lying in those ruins among the dying and rotting is something that seems to be an opportunity. Moss makes a decision. Moss is dumber than dirt. 

Chirugh is a wonderful character, and in a way this story reminds me of The Seventh Seal.

I want to reread this one, again after a break. McCarthy's style of writing is just different enough that I was conscious of reading the entire time. The lack of quotation marks, vague character identifiers, and colloquial language meant that I couldn't just slide into it. It was like sitting on a hard wooden pew; you never forget you're there. 

Favorite quote:

How does a man decide in what order to abandon his life?

NORSE MYTHOLOGY by Neil Gaiman

3 Stars

Gaiman put together a compilation of favorite tales from Norse mythology and retold them in his own voice. Stories die out if they're not told, and this collection pays homage to the bards of old by reweaving the tales for a new audience. This gives an overview of Norse mythology following key events from the beginning to Ragnarok.

I had a few favorites:

Sleipnir's origins--LOL Loki.

Freya's wedding--LOL Thor.

Loki's children--I have a soft spot for Fenrir.

Poor Freya. The gods are always ready to throw her under the bus by marrying her off.

Again, Loki. The whole deal with the billy goat took some serious cojones.

Finally, it ends as it should with Ragnarok:

This will be the age of cruel winds, the age of people who become as wolves, who prey upon each other, who are no different than wild beasts. Twilight will come to the world, and the places that humans live will fall into ruins, flaming briefly, then crashing down and crumbling into ash and devastation. 

So, some readers are probably going, 'why did he bother?" Well, for one, I've had a few sagas on my to be read list for quite sometime and while I really enjoy reading them: The Táin: From the Irish epic Táin Bó Cúailnge, Y Gododdin, Beowulf, etc., they were not easily accessible to read. Frankly, this was painless and fun because you could laugh at the stories without decoding them. So, for an introduction to readers of all ages--okay maybe not young children because the gods were not PC creatures and there's some funny stories here that a teen to adult would be better situated to understand.

I am now ready for Ragnarok!

What???

Another recommendation fail, though it would be extraordinarily interesting to see them shelved together.

ARTEMIS by Andy Weir

3 Stars

Made for movie lunar romp.

This has all the right elements, and the engineering of it is really obvious. I can almost see the character and plot check boxes alongside Weir's monitor for verifying against his outline. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's no surprises. Want a popcorn book? This is a good choice. Not bad, not great, but you also won't be thinking about it much longer than it takes to read it.

Jazz is the hero in this first person point of view lunar intrigue story. Take the Wild West setting with it's power struggles and resource infighting, subtract gravity and atmosphere, add STEM learning modules and voila! You've got the basis of Artemis. Seriously, I can see using this as an interdisciplinary reading assignment for middle school students.

You've got the maverick entrepreneurial young adult rebel making her own rules, living her life her way. Not glamorous and scrapping by, but too proud to mend bridges until circumstances require it. Then, it is all so easy to get everyone on board with the plan. Of course, the lawless malcontent really has a heart of gold. Hooray!

I suspect this will be a bigger hit with the YA demographic.

V FOR VENDETTA by Alan Moore

4 Stars

In times of darkness and great need, we look for a hero.



Book 1:
The backstory and a particularly intriguing story of freedom versus justice emerges in this postnuclear apocalyptic story. Tick-tock, times up for some very bad people. I also recall why my farmboy friends are not stupid. I had a machete and gasoline, and they... well, I'd have been a bigger fan of chemistry, too. The things you learn playing in the shed.

 Book 2:
The saga continues, but this time we see Evey and her trajectory. There is an intersection with V and the past and how they have led to now. This is the mindfuck stage and entertaining when you see where it leads.

Book 3:
The future is here. The baton is passed. Do you take it? I actually found this more cogent than the movie version. While the cinema was beautifully shot, this showed the transitions better, albeit in a longer fashion rather than a few cuts. The power and depth of V as a entity and the use of letter is sketched out better. I liked the movie, but this was superior.