Wordy and witty

I've confesses before that I wish Sarah Vowell would move next door and be my new best friend. Her books are such fun - and they're about history! The two don't often go together for me.

Wordy Shipmates is about the Puritans. She delves into their first steps onto North America, characters such as John Winthrop, Roger Williams, and Anne Hutchinson as well as relations with the natives. This book balances the thoughtful and tragic with Vowell's trademark humor.

As a non-religious person, you might think I'd veer away from books about really really religious people. But the history intrigues me, and the influence on our culture is undeniable. Her telling of Roger Williams really stuck with me, and I agree with Vowell that Williams is "hard to like but easy to love."

It was interesting to learn more about Anne Hutchinson as well, and Winthrop's deep and twisted hatred of her. I of course had to listen to the audio version of this book. Vowell is one of those (like Sedaris) that I believe are even better when listened to. I give this one a 7.5.

Lumpish

The Lump of Coal is a picture book by Lemony Snicket so of course its clever. However, it wasn't nearly clever enough to live up to my expectations. The illustrations are cute though.

I'll give it a 5.

Tragic

Dear Zachary is a letter from a filmmaker to his murdered best friend's son, Zachary. Zachary's mother just happens to be the prime suspect in the case who announces her pregnancy after her boyfriend's death.

This film is about so much. Its a love letter to a dearly missed friend. It's a chance for the murdered man's parents to tell of their grief. It's a collection of memories from everyone who knew him.

By the end of this film, I was crying hard. The parents of this story show such strength and grace. I can't recommend it enough. I give it a 9.

Signs

So sweet. Found via Cupcakes and Mace.

Pretty pretties

Bloesem posted a link to a clothing store I cannot stop ogling. Rebe makes such pretty pretties.

Sigh...I want pretty much everything in the shop.

Slowly devastating

In Sunlight in a Beautiful Garden is all about the Johnstown Flood. The flood itself takes only a handful of pages, but the lead up to the disaster is the slowest heartbreak.

This fictional version of the events introduces the reader to characters on both sides of the doomed dam - both the poor families and the wealthy industrialists. The plotting is so slow, and you just know that bad things await. My only wish was that I'd kept notes as I went along. There are so many characters that it would have helped. However, I whole-heartedly recommend this novel.

I give it an 8.

Cheese-tastic

I must first admit that I am not intentionally on a teenagers forced to murder eachother spree. Although it very much appears so. Battle Royale had been on my to-see list since they reviewed it on Filmspotting. It just happened that I received it shortly after finishing The Hunger Games.

In this crazy film, Japan has decided to start punishing whole classes of teenagers for getting out of hand. This particular class started not showing up, and so they are lured back to school and hauled off to a deserted island.

Their angry and unrepentant teacher tells them that the only way off the island is to be the last person standing at the end of three days. They give them each a weapon and out they go.

You can totally see how much Tarantino must have loved this film. Its completely full of gore and crazy deaths. I give it a 6.

Go look. Now!

CK over at Creative Envy did a post about a whole slew of amazing murals she's done. I'm so inspired. (However, since this lazy bum is still living with "serviceable beige" on her walls {and yes that's the actual name of the paint} I must get some things done before I even contemplate a cool ass mural).

Flutter

I'm in full covet mode over this moth ring from auto. How perfect.

Beautiful exploration

Shaun Tan is amazingly talented. I firmly believe that The Red Tree is his most amazing work so far. It's a kid's book that explores the feelings of depression through both the descriptions and artwork.

I can't suggest it enough for kids and grown-ups alike. Beutiful! I give it a 9.



Who hasn't had a day like the one pictured above?

So many colors

Have you ever seen anything quite so fun as these pieces by Gata Valquiria?

I am immersed in adoration for these. Go look at her flickr stream. These two are just the very tip of an astoundingly colorful iceberg.

Tense

The Hunger Games is seriously addictive. I read it in about 2.5 days and when I wasn't reading it, I caught myself worrying over the story and the characters. I was so tensed up that finishing the book became paramount.

This novel (another YA - go figure!) is about Katniss who lives in a madly fucked up world. In this world, North America is run by a wealthy few who live in The Capital. Everyone else lives in districts who long ago tried and failed to overthrow The Capital. In order to remind those folks in the 12 districts of their complete powerlessness, once a year, the big baddies at The Capital force each district to choose two teens at random to go fight to the death in a real Survivor-type show.

Let the nerves and nail-biting ensue! This book is captivating. I liked how it wasn't as straight forward as it could have been. Be warned though, this book is the beginning of a series. I'm starting to think that publishers are requiring every other YA book they print to be part of a series of some sort.

I rate this one a 7.5.