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Barely Making a Dent: September 2017 Books


In which our narrator tries to read his way through the endless stacks of books that are slowly overtaking both his bookshelves and his life.

Do they still make those "READ" posters? Several years ago—maybe ten, or fifteen?—I used to see them everywhere, in libraries, at the office (I work in publishing, after all), in various stores and on various public transportation systems. The fact that I'm feeling strangely nostalgic for them now is probably one more sign pointing towards my ongoing slide into old age. I've also been curious to find 1980s Choose Your Own Adventure books and a Rubik's Cube lately, too. Sigh. It's pointless to resist, nostalgia wins every time. And, sadly, this Britney poster made me feel old back when it was plastered everywhere, and now thinking about how long ago that was only makes me feel even older. #smh

Recently read
Out of Sight, by Elmore Leonard. Here is an author who's been on my to-read list forever, yet who's novels I've somehow never got around to reading. I'm rectifying that now, having recently picked up copies of Out of Sight and Rum Punch. Out of Sight was fantastic, a smart, thrilling, fun, modern noir with two charismatic leads—Karen Sisco and Jack Foley—for whom you can't help but root. I've always loved the Soderbergh film—J. Lo's best work, and some of Clooney's finest also—and Tarantino's Jackie Brown, based on Rum Punch, is one of my all-time favorite films, period. So I'm really looking forward to reading the source novel for that one.

Paperbacks from Hell and My Best Friend's Exorcism, each by Grady Hendrix. I reviewed Paperbacks for Cult Faction this week; my short review—buy this book now! After finishing Hendrix's near-comprehensive look back at the horror publishing boom of the 1970s-1990s, I followed that up with his recent novel, about two friends going through the trials and tribulations of high school in the 1980s...while one of them is possessed by an evil entity. Just your typical '80s experience, basically. He has another novel, Horrorstor, which I'll read at some point also. I should also note that his publisher, Quirk Books, certainly outdid themselves with the design of both books; the paperback cover to Exorcism is an homage to '80s teen-horror film VHS covers, rivaling some of the best covers from that era. Just look at it—talk about tuning into Gen-X nostalgia, wow.



Currently reading

The Nightwalker, by Thomas Tessier. Finding this 1979 novel for three bucks—and free shipping!—on eBay was a direct result of having read Hendrix's Paperbacks from Hell. He made Tessier's take on the werewolf novel sound so interesting, that I had to read it for myself. So far, it's got just the sort of unsettling vibe you want in a horror story. Re: horror films and novels from the '70s-80s, they really don't make 'em like that anymore, do they?

Recently acquired

 Gerald's Game, The Dead Zone, and Firestarter, all by Stephen King. Technically I've had an old, well-worn trade paperback of Firestarter for several years now, but I picked up the other two, used, a few months back. Every time a movie/Netflix/TV adaptation of a King work crops up, I realize that even with the abundance of his work I have read since I was thirteen years old, there's still so much of it I haven't.  So, these will tick off three more from the list. As always, I can't wait to settle in with some Stephen King, and the plan is to read at least one or two things in the lead up to Halloween.


And speaking of Gerald's Game, it drops this week on US Netflix and stars Carla Gugino, who also happened to play the title character in the Karen Sisco (yup, that Karen Sisco again) television series back in the early aughts. Somehow I missed it at the time, probably because it only lasted a season. I need to watch at some point though, because Gugino is one of my all-time favorites, and such an underrated actress. Honestly, she deserves to be featured in one of the "An Appreciation" posts around here, at some point. She just kills it in every single role, and with such charisma and talent that I always wonder why she hasn't become a bigger star than she is. No matter, fans appreciate her, and she's carved out a successful niche in her career. No surprise, early reviews say she's outstanding in Gerald's Game. Can. Not. Wait.

We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin. This classic work of dystopian fiction comes highly recommended by a friend, author, and fellow book lover.
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Comments

  1. Paul SSeptember 29, 2017 at 7:51 AM

    The opening paragraph of this post really struck a chord. You've obviously noticed I also feel strangely nostalgic for the the 80's and 90's. They were pfabulous times; long may we remember them.
    My reading has really taken a back seat over the summer months, and like you I've never read anything by Elmore Leonard. I really should. I loved the film adaptation of Hombre with Paul Newman, he also wrote the scripts for films like Joe Kid and Mr Majestyk which I always enjoy watching. 70's tough guys Bronson and Eastwood were a perfect fit for Elmore's material.

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    Replies
    1. Words Seem Out of PlaceSeptember 29, 2017 at 10:22 AM

      When I started this blog I didn't intend to focus so much on the 80s and 90s, but that's basically what I've done. And I'm pfine with that, because I adore those decades. They were the time when I came of age and developed into the inveterate pop culture junkie and lifelong Michelle pfan. If you're interested in more 90s stuff, I have an ongoing series, "It Came From the '90s" and here's a sample post, also one of the most popular posts I've ever done:

      http://wordsseemoutofplace.blogspot.com/2017/01/it-came-from-90s-kelly-bundy-and.html

      The rest of the series can be found here:

      http://wordsseemoutofplace.blogspot.com/search/label/it%20came%20from%20the%20%2790s

      As you'll see it, it's very eclectic, and some posts are more memoir-ish than others, while almost all of them are exploring the intersection of '90s pop culture on my life at the time, and beyond.

      I'd love your feedback on those posts! Let me know what you think!

      And yes, Leonard is a legend who's had a huge impact on Hollywood as well. I highly recommend Out of Sight.

      Delete

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