When it came to book-reading in 2018, it was an okay year for me. Not good. Not bad. Just okay. For some odd reason, I would fall asleep after reading 1-2 pages of a book and then lose my spot. And then have to go back and read it again, and again, and again. Sigh. Besides listening to audiobooks, I didn't really get into a book-reading rhythm this year, which is a bummer because, well, it sucks.
In hindsight, I think it was the overall quality of the books as well. I look back on other years, like 2016 and 2014 and, even, 2009 in awe. I truly came across some great books in those years that stretched throughout the 365 days. Well, I guess, just like Billy Bob Thornton's Santa said to the chubby kid in Bad Santa, "They all can't be winners."
Nonetheless, even though it wasn't the best crop of books to pop into my cranium, it was an interesting grab-bag year of graphic novels (two by the same author and illustrator), marketing tomes, biographies and post-apocalyptic treachery. Sort of like the 'Potpourri' category on Jeopardy.
Well, I could keep writing, and I will--but it's going to be in the form of the reviews, so enjoy!
The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer
I'm a big fan of the television show 'The Office' ... and Pam (played by Jenna Fischer). And, even
though I'm not an actor, I found this helpful survival guide very entertaining and informative. Fischer shares snippets of her career from high school to being tossed into the L.A. actor carousel including getting noticed, movie roles, firings and the endless disappointments that come with auditioning - and to her eventual acting role on The Office. But, this book is also a self-help book for up and coming actors who traveled from god knows where to Hollywood and then - bam! - they don't know what to do, or where to start. Very well written with fantastic tips and advice. For myself, it was nice to see a snapshot of this interesting industry through Fischer's eyes.
The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston
| Great biographic read. It's almost like David Grann's highly recommended adventure biographical novel 'The Lost City of Z'. But, his one turned out to be a success. Just a blow-by-blow account of the history, the failed expeditions and, finally, to the last-ditch effort to find the fabled city using the latest technology. Wonderfully written book. If you're an adventure seeker, a backpacker, hiker, or someone that loves that 'Raiders of The Lost Ark' mentality of unearthing valuable unfound treasures - then this is the book for you. Not much more to say, but check it out!! The Operator: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama Bin Laden by Robert O'Neill
|
Strange Weather by Joe Hill
Four unique, creepy, disturbing - yet entertaining - stories about four different weather patterns. Joe Hill is Stephen King's son, but he has his own voice steeped in 80's pop-culture references. The first story is - well - strange, but it shows some deep thinking about technology, about photography, and evil, and forgetfulness. The second story is the best of the four (in my opinion) about gun ownership and violence in America. Third story is a fun, fantasy that literally takes place in the clouds. Fourth story is just plain disturbing - like a 'what if' of weather, which sort of echoed the second episode of the new Netflix 'Lost In Space' series. Don't want to give the Strange Weather plot points away, but they're all worth a good read.
Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
| Beautifully written and illustrated graphic novel by Vera Brosgol. A coming-of-age story about a tween female attending camp for the very first time ... warts and all. Perfect for the tween or female graphic novel enthusiast in your family. Heck, perfect for anyone. This is a fun, entertaining graphic novel. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller I'm on a post-apocalyptic novel kick nowadays. It's not by choice, it's just the order that I have the books in my Goodreads 'To-Read' slot. This novel features the post-apocalyptic odd-couple of two men fighting off hordes of f'd up humans after a killer flu wipes out most of the United States. A mix of 'The Road' and a previous novel that I had just read called 'Station Eleven', it's an interesting story told matter of factly in first person narrative of a pacifist pilot that's forced to kill. A former army marine that's trained to kill, and sort of likes it--all in the name of protecting the airport that they call home. The two form a crazy, odd bond that works well in printed form. And probably could stretch into a movie version with the right actors. It's sad. It's melancholy. It questions our humanity. I praises relationships and kinships that form. And it adds a bit of warmth in this depressing, despicable, lonely planet that the flu virus has left behind. The Shining by Stephen King Great haunted house/hotel thriller from Stephen King. I've read the articles. King hates Kubrick's film adaptation. But I don't care, I loved the film. It's one of my all-time favorites. But, I enjoyed the book on its own. Some of the key differences that I've found awesome about the book were the wife was actually a character with feelings and heart, the creepy hedge animals, the fact that the Overlook wanted Danny more than Jack, Dick Halloran's backstory and overall importance to the plot, the ongoing references to wasps (the insects), and a nice sinister backstory to the hotel itself - which is explained in gory and sadomasochistic detail. Again, I loved Kubrick's movie more than this book (sorry Mr. King!), but that shouldn't stop you from picking this one up and checking it out. It's very good, and creepy. |
The Power of Moments by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
| A fantastic book sure to help any advertising or creative team out with marketing conundrums that may arise during their day-to-day brainstorms and strategy sessions. Figuring out those key 'moments' where you can surprise and delight your customers is key to any great marketing strategy. Not even for marketing. Human Resources. Print Facilities. IT. Small businesses. Agencies. Whatever business you have, you can pull something valuable out of this book to help support consumers, customers, and employees. Some of the key things I learned is that (a) it's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them (b) a good starting point to great strategy is to always look out for those key problem points or celebration points in your customer's or employee's journey and try to figure out ways to make them better and (c) customer experience should be mostly forgettable and occasionally remarkable - among other things. This book gave me a great idea to help out our creative group's onboarding strategy, which celebrates the new employees rather than tosses them into an empty cubicle watching endless corporate videos. I'll probably pick up this book again for more inspiration and ideas down the line. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol Another well-written, fantastically illustrated female-centric graphic novel by Brosgol. Although I enjoyed 'Be Prepared' a tiny bit more for more personal reasons than anything else - I like that Brosgol took this story down a more fantasy, thriller route than just your normal coming-of-age, angst-ridden teen dramedy. Check it out for the visuals. Stay for the fun, creepyish plot. |
Other Top Reads From Year's Past:
- Eimer's Top Reads of 2017
- Eimer's Top Reads of 2016
- Eimer's Top Reads of 2015
- Eimer's Top Reads of 2014
- Eimer's Top Reads of 2013
- Eimer's top Reads of 2012
- Eimer's Top Reads of 2011
- Eimer's Top Reads of 2010
- Eimer's Top Reads of 2009
- Rendezvous with Rama Review
- Read My FREE Novella of Short Stories
- American Gods Review
- Cash by Cash Review
- Walk in the Woods Review
- The Road Review
- The Mist Review
No comments:
Post a Comment