The Graveyard Book

Ben shamed me into posting.

Neil Gaiman won the Newbery Medal this morning for The Graveyard Book. Hurray!

You can listen to Neil read the book online for free. Technically, you can watch him read the book, but why would you do that (no offense Neil). I listened to the book over a few days at work. It's written for young readers, but I enjoyed it a great deal. It's lovely. Check out the audience reaction at the end of chapter 7.

Also, looking forward to the release of Coraline.

-Kathryn

Semi-Anual Post

Since last I posted, Here are the books that I can remember...

• Snuff - Chuck Palahniuk : Not his best work. The plot twist seemed forced. I should have reread Rant or Lullaby.
• Island - Terry Pratchett : I really enjoyed this book. It's supposed to be aimed at young adults, but it seemed completely appropriate for me.
  
• Something that escapes me at the moment
• Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson: Rounding the final bend on this one. Because of it's girth, you really have time to grow accustomed to the many characters and times. It's still has not brought all the threads together, but I have faith that it will eventually.
  

Follow-up to my previous post about the Grand Prix du Canada, the brain trust at FOM/FIA have canceled the Canadian Grand Prix. You know, the race that always sells out and was the only GP in North America. At least now there's room for another GP in Asia that nobody will attend. No, I'm not bitter. Really.

And I am finally entering the HDTV Era. Delivered, or on there way currently are...

• Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD Plasma TV
• Pioneer BDP-51FD Blu-Ray Disk Player
• Denon AVR-3808CI A/V Receiver
• Dish Network ViP-722 HD PVR
• Logitech Harmony 890 Remote Control
  

So far, the Harmony is the only purchase that I've regretted at all. The software that comes with the remote that allows you configure it has some usability issues. First, it's a web-based application thinly wrapped in a Mac application skin. You can't copy or paste text to the application, and the application will time-out if left unattended. The real problem is that the only interface to adjust any of the parameters is a wizard interface that makes it infuriating to make minor changes, and frequently impossible to correct configuration problems. For instance, I set up a "Watch TV" action that sets the receiver input to satellite, turns on the satellite PVR, and sends the output to the TV on input 4. That's fine, but then I tried to set up a "Watch DVD" action (There is no option for Watch Blu-Ray). The remote software never asks me how the receiver should be set-up to receive from the Blu-Ray player, but instead insists that the receiver's input should be set to Satellite. It asks me if the setup is correct, but steadfastly refuses to let me change the receiver input.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure that I've ever been satisfied with anything that Logitech as produced. I go MS for mice, and Kensington for my favorite big-ass trackball.

-Ben

You Suck (not you)!

I finished reading You Suck (2007) by Christopher Moore. Since my past book reviews have been criticized for using hyperbole such as, "I liked it", I will borrow from a professional:

"All [his] books exhibit the same marvelous virtues. Engaging, deftly limned protagonists whose human failings are always offset by surprising moral depths, heroes and villains alike. Zippy, jet-propelled plots whose parts are intricately connected and whose endings offer genuine surprises. Bright, clean, witty dialogue. Juicy descriptions, similes and metaphors in the hyperbolic mode. Vivid physical settings and cultural milieus, meticulously reported from first-hand experience....And - finally but essentially - ingenious fantasy elements that are integral with the other components of the books, engines of action, not just add-ons." - Washington Post Book World

I've read several Christopher Moore books. You Suck is a sequel to Bloodsucking Fiends (1995). Both are about recently turned vampires, but in a funny, I-could-see-myself-as-a-vampire kind of way. You Suck picks up exactly where Bloodsucking Fiends ends, the exact same scene. Most of the characters are very young (late teens to early twenties), so I related most the the giant shaved cat. For vampire books they are very funny, romantic and surprisingly optimistic.

If you are considering reading a Christopher Moore book, and you should, you should read Lamb (2002). It's the story of Jesus, the missing years, as told by his best friend Biff. It really is Moore's best book. I've heard that it is read in some religious study courses. Apparently, when it first came out some Christians were offended by it, but it is actually very respectful of Jesus Christ, if you worry about the sort of thing. Fluke (2003) is his LOL funniest.

- Kathryn

Behind the (Future) Times

I seem to have skipped the whole cyberpunk phenomena of the late 80s and early 90s in science fiction. My frequent housemate Blake kept up-to-date on such things, so I was aware of William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and Bruce Sterling, but never read them.

In the past few months I've started to catch up. Neuromancer and Snow Crash have been recent reads, and I'm feeling 20 years late to the party. No matter, I'll have something to look for the next time I go to Powell's. Next book on my list right now is Chuck Palahniuk's latest, Snuff.

- Ben