We The Animals by Justin Torres Did you love the deep family connection of Tree Of Life, but hate the dinosaurs? This debut novel whispers like the curtains of a dining room window left open in midsummer as three boys come of age in upstate New York. My favorite work of fiction this year.
The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria by Ferran Adria A graphic novel style cookbook by the world's most coveted modern chef. It isn't fussy but rather breezy and perfect for inspiring everyday meals for you and yours. I bought several for gifts. you may want to do the same.
Menu Design In America by Steven Heller, John Mariana, & Jim Heimann Just right for those that "have everything" - This isn't a book that I would necessarily buy for myself but I would love it as a gift. Great for history lovers and fans of graphic arts.
I Killed: True Stories of the Road from America's Top Comics Compiled by Ritch Shyder and Mark Schiff Funny, dark - and like most road stories from comedians, probably about forty percent lies. Totally enthralling, couldn't put it down. Features stories from Larry David, Chris Rock, Mike Meyers, Joan Rivers, Larry the Cable Guy, Jeff Foxworthy, Drew Carey, Brett Butler, Jay Leno and tons more.
Believing Is Seeing: Observations on the Mysteries of Photography by Errol Morris Errol Morris is a brilliant filmmaker, and this new book is a strange kind of detective story... By exploring the stories behind specific photographs, he asks if the pictures obscure as much as they reveal. A beautiful treasure.
Hollywood Rat Race by Ed Wood, Jr. For the slightly tilted Hollywood fan on your holiday list, give Ed Wood, Jr.'s Hollywood Rat Race a look. It's a fascinating glance at the ins and outs of show biz life through the eyes of one of Hollywood's favorite punching bags. Wood has put together a bittersweet memoir, a love letter, a hate screed, and a surprisingly practical guide to the film world. Written in the inimitable Wood style, Hollywood Rat Race is sure to tickle any fan of the movies.
The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lynch I know Twin Peaks hasn't been a "thing" in mainstream popular culture in some time, but that doesn't mean the devout fan base is any less rabid. The Secret Diary has been re-issued and makes the perfect companion gift for those amazing Twin Peaks Gold Box Sets, Lynch Coffee, The Blue Velvet Blu-ray, The David Lynch Lime Green Box Set, Crazy Clown Time (signed by Lynch) and the fantastic new big art book Works On Paper (Also singed). What fantastic maniac doesn't want all of this? & Book Soup carries them all.
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch Pass on the message of unconditional love to a young tyke in your life! This book changed my life at four years old. My mother gave it to me for Christmas and I still have it to this day - beat & worn - and will forever cherish it.
For readers, ages 4 to 8. A tremendous gift with a powerful message that has the ability to touch a child's heart for a lifetime.
This book is not only about men's attire, but also the Vienna mindset from the author and great visionary architect Adolf Loos. The structure of Austria's class system has a lot to do with how people dressed during the turn of the 19th into the 20th Century. What's charming (and this book is nothing but charming) is Loos' writing style which seems to be geared for the fashion magazine of its time. One thing that comes through is that Loos knows his landscape, and he knows how that landscape should look - so its natural for an architect to be also interested in clothing, because clothing is another form of architecture. So what's fascinating about this book is not the subject matter itself, but how such an interesting man, a great designer, looks at the world of fashion and fabric. And yes, a must for the dandy's book collection, without a doubt!
It has been a Usamaru Furuya month for me, since I read "Lychee Light Club early this month. And I liked it a lot - but this is really my cup of sake. "No Longer Human" is a classic and great Osamu Dazai novel, and Furuya does a good job in updating the story (slightly).
A story of a wealthy young teenager who had everything but quickly loses it due to feelings of severe alienation. Yes, it could be a Who rock opera concept, but in the hands of Dazai its a poetic downsizing of a character slowly losing his sense of identity. His only hope really is becoming a writer. And the book (and graphic novel) is based on Dazai's personal life. I discovered this writer while living in Japan, and at the time (and still does to be honest) makes perfect sense to me. Whenever I write something I think of Dazai first. And its interesting Furuya has taken on this novel as a graphic piece of narration. His work is super great and sophisticated. "No Longer Human" is a three part series. I can't wait till volume 2
Reading Greil Marcus is always a pleasure. And its the reason why I am reading this particular book, because I really don't have a passion for the Doors or their imagery. But on the other hand they are a band that's important to my personal culture. Being raised in Los Angeles, I saw the Doors at the Whiskey, opening for Them with Van (the other) Morrison. It may have been the first show in a club, not sure. My mind I was around 12, but I think i was actually 14. Nevertheless I went there with my Dad to see Them, and the Doors was a superb surprise. I think it may have been before their first album was released, but I remember being really impressed with Jim Morrison's voice. It sooth as well as rocked. And there was something quite personal in the way they communicated with their audience in the club. On the other hand, Them was very cold and cool. Not a bad thing mind you, but totally the opposite of the Doors.
The next I saw the Doors it was at an outside concert - and I thought they were boring. They didn't have that concentration or the force of their show at the Whiskey. And at this time it was around the height of "Light My Fire." But the magic was gone, at least to my young ears at the time.
The other times were non-musical - but I remember being invited (with my Dad) to the back stage of the first Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young show at the Greek theater, and as we were walking to the entrance of the backstage, Morrison was being escorted out by a security guard. Then all of sudden Stills shows up and tells the security guard to let Morrison stay. And that was my memory of the evening! The next time after that I saw him in Topanga Canyon, drinking beer in a brown bag behind a wheel of a parked Volkswagon bug. Of course all of above could have just been a dream, but....
But back to the book, Marcus uses the Doors' culture and music as a springboard on his thoughts on 1960's American culture. its basicially a long riff how culture and band connects and makes commentary on to each other. Marcus is writing this book as not only a fan (and he's a very critical fan) but also the state of the world via the eyes of Jim Morrison and Co.
