Showing posts with label best novels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label best novels. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Eimer's Top Reads of 2021 & 2022




Yeah, in addition to watching movies, I still read too. 

And I’ve been reading a wide-range of shit, mother fucker! And, you know what, writing some crazy shit as well including my first book ‘Be The Dumbest Person In the Room and Other Life Lessons from a Mid-Level Creative Schlub.’ 

But hey … sometimes life gets in the way of the normal, 9-to-5, day-to-day stuff that I have to do. Which reminds me that, last year, I also forgot to highlight my favorite books in 2021. So, to remedy that for my 1-2 readers out there, I thought I’d share my top reads from this year and last year – including a book written by my good buddy and co-worker Josh Womack (see below). 

Also, be sure to check out the bottom of this post for links to recommendations from year's past.👇🏻

Shameless 'Best Read' Plug of '22 Alert! 

Be The Dumbest Person In The Room & Other Life Lessons from A Mid-Level Creative Schlub by Bradley Eimer
Bradley Eimer (that’s me!) takes you on a self-deprecating career journey through his adventures in the creative trade—from working as an animator in college and covering sports in Columbus to writing for various Northeast Ohio ad agencies and leading a creative team within a Fortune 500 in-house agency. Bradley has seen the good, bad, and ugly of the creative industry and learned some important lessons along the way—helpful tips that you can use right now when embarking on your own creative career. Currently 4.6 rating on Amazon with 9 glowing reviews (four of which I don’t know who wrote). 

Other Best Reads of 2022 

I’m Not a Copywriter, But … by Josh Womack 
Stand-up comedy. Speechwriting. Pro wrestling? Somehow, these oddball life choices led Josh Womack to copywriting. In his debut book, he talks about these experiences and more. If you're a junior or mid-level copywriter out there still trying to find your way, congrats! So is the author of this book. Oh yeah, I also wrote the forward!

Upgrade by Blake Crouch
Great thought-provoking book about the future of humanity. Reminded me a little bit like Minority Report mixed with human enhancement. It's great Blake Crouch sci-fi mixed with science reality that you've come to love in his other books. The ending is the best part, rather the epilogue, with a wake-up call of sorts from Crouch's protagonist in the book (but perhaps coming from the author himself). 

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells
If you want to get a slice-of-life look into a family that is not like your own at all, then pick up this book. Jeanette takes us on her journey surrounded by her brothers and sisters and her rather peculiar mother and father, who are educated gypsies who bounce around the country with kids in tow getting into one predicament after the other. It's an interesting, quick read that's worthy of a view. Just a glimpse into another person's human condition that you would probably never ever see. Check it out. Going to watch the movie next (even though i've heard it's not that good) 

Daisy Jones & The Six by Tailor Reid
You know what, I thought this fake 70's music band bio was going to be a little cheesy - but boy was I wrong. Told in the same vein as Motley Crue's 'The Dirt' as well as SNL'S 'Live From New York'. With hints of Cameron Crow's 'Almost Famous'- you follow the myriad of various colorful characters through the rise (and fall) of fictitious band The Six, which reluctantly takes on a singer/writer Daisy Jones to catapult them to the next level. Taking inspiration from Fleetwood Mac (which I've read in numerous online articles), Reid did her research on the inner workings of a song-writing and creating music, which adds to the overall musical tapestry of the novel. Just a fun, quick, fast, thought-provoking read that gives you a fly on the wall perspective of the dysfunctional beauty of a band destined for fame.

Fly Boys by James Bradley 
Whoa. Lots of stuff I did not know about the creation of the Air Force, about WW2, about Japanese customs and culture, about the battle for the two small islands in the pacifici Iwo Jima and ChiChi Jima, about the nuclear bomb, about (gulp) cannibalism, about war crimes, and about how both sides did some pretty nasty things during this gruesome, bloody battle. A must-read if you're a history buff. 

The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock 
Almost five stars. Pollock does it again blending fantastic dialogue, great storytelling and awkward human interactions into this psuedo-western-meets-industrial-revolution-early-1900's about three bank-robbing brothers who find themselves in the small town of Meade, Ohio; looking to make a break for the Canadian border. A little Cormac McCarthy, a tiny bit of Jacques Audiard's The Sisters Brothers, and dash of Peter Farrelly humor - make this an original book that you won't want to put down; despite how disgusting and degrading it gets. 

Best Reads of 2021 

Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk 
If you're a budding fiction writer, you gotta check this book out by Palahniuk who gives tips, advice and shares some fiction writing tips (and entertaining bio stories) to get you started on that bestseller you're sure to write. This book is up there with Stephen King's 'On Writing' and Bradbury's 'Zen in the art of writing'. This book is so good, I'll probably read this a couple times. 

Klara & The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Beautifully written, thought-provoking book that takes place in the distant future when AI's are part of our everyday fabric. Reminded me of the beginning of Steven Spielberg's "AI" a bit. But this is just a smaller story about an AI robot, a family, and the bonds they create along their odd AI journey. Another well-written book by Ishiguro. Well done! Highly recommended. 

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art 
Great book. Highly recommended. If you pull just 1-2 thoughts or lessons from this book about the power of breathing through your nose, you'll start your way to a healthier life. Once in a while, you come across a book that knocks you on your butt, and teaches you a little something that you never knew that could, literally, transform your life and your health. This is one of those books for me. Get this book, take slow a deep breath (through your nose) for 5.5 seconds, then release 5.5 seconds later, and then continue.

Dark Matter by Black Crouch
What a fantastic science fiction book. Multiverses. Romance. True love. What if you took a different turn in life. Action. Adventure. Horror. This book has it all. Even the least passionate sci-fi fans will enjoy this book.

The God Game by Danny Tobey
What a fun idea for a book. Mixing 'Ready Player One' and the movie 'Scavenger Hunt' with 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' and ethical dilemmas and right and wrong; it's a fun teenage romp and a quick read - perfect for a film. Loved how the author weaved real-life elements merged within AI and Augmented Reality to create this truly fantastical world of love, life, murder, bullying and tragedy. Fun, must-read book if you like role-playing games, mixed with AI and Ready Player One games. 

Other Top Reads From Year's Past:
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Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Eimer's Top Reads of 2020

In early 2020, after posting my Top 9 Great Post Apocalyptic Reads way back in March 14, the place that I work sent everyone home to partake in mandatory WFH fun for the rest of the year. Which then turned into the beginning of 2021. And now, more than likely, it's looking like this WFH parade will extend well into the summer of 2021 ... if not probably beyond. 

With everything shut down, nowhere to go, and nothing to do, I thought Governor Dewine's Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Order would prompt me to sit back, cuddle up with a nice glass of whiskey, and read, and read, a read to my hearts content maybe even surpassing a personal record of total books read. 

Well, I was wrong. Except for the whiskey part. 

After March, the procrastination got worse. All of the things I wanted to do, I put off. And, pretty much, just started drinking .... anything I could possibly get my hands on. The depression transformed into gluttony, which transformed into sadness, then anger and finally acceptance. Finally, in the summer of 2020, I woke up from my doldrums, started working out again, drawing again, creating again ... and yes, even, reading again. 

With this newfound creativity, I was able to knock out a bunch of relevant, interesting, fun, topical books. Well, some not so topical but still nevertheless damn interesting. So here, folks, is my list of 2020 Top Reads, in no particular order:

Beastie Boys Book 

by Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz

Loved. Loved. Loved this book and not just because I'm a Beastie Boys fan. Well, that's probably half of it. But, it's just an inspiring story of three creative kids finding new sounds, meeting new people and pushing that imagination bar. From sampling, to writing, to music, everything that the Beastie Boys did was steeped in creativity, trying new things and just seeing what sticks. Making music was their platform, but having fun and creating great friendships was key to this fruitful collaboration between three bad brothers you know so well. From the days of Rick Rubin and Licensed to Ill, to sampling with the Dust Brothers in California, to returning to their musical instrument roots in Check Your Head, and beyond all the way to the death of MCA (Adam Yauch), the story is filled with a historical breakdown of music that inspired, warts and all creative process, and the inspirational, musical-minded folks they met along the way who helped shape these guys into the band that they became, and the fantastic experimental music they made along the way. It's a long book, but well worth the read. May even inspire you to get off your butt and do something, anything .. in the spirit of creativity.


The Library Book

by Susan Orlean

I never thought I'd find a book about a library so intriguing. Then, I found out that Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief, was at the helm. In subsequent chapters, this immersive book takes you through the history of The Los Angeles Public Library as well as the hunt for the 'arsonist' who started the 1986 library fire that destroyed more than one million books. As a fan of my local library in Martins Ferry, as well as the Grandview, Columbus, Hudson, and Upper Arlington public libraries in Ohio (which I have visited, continue visiting, and borrowing with full gusto), I enjoyed this book which goes through the inner-workings of a library and brings back that warm, welcoming, nostalgic feeling that you get whenever you walk through its doors. Orlean weaves three distinct books into one; true detective, historical, and educational, which comes together for a really enthralling read.


Full Throttle

by Joe Hill

Wow! Joe Hill is pumping out some pretty, pretty, pretty kick-ass short stories. Check out 21st-Century Ghosts and Strange Weather. This collection contains a ton of goodies. Some of my faves include Wolverton Station, Faun, All I Care About is You, Mums, and Dark Carousel. The audio version did not include Twittering from the Circus of The Dead. So, I'm curious about that one. But, all in all, a great collection. But, by far, the most inspiring writing comes from the Prologue, which is titled 'Who's Your Daddy?' in which he waxes nostalgic about growing up around his dad and the many different inspirations for his eventual career in writing.


Borne

by Jeff VanderMeer

Thoroughly enjoyed VanderMeer's first book in the Southern Reach Trilogy (Annihilation). The other two books, not so much. But, I was intrigued that he decided to delve into science-fiction once again with Borne. Man, this is an odd book. The tone reminded a little bit of Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake. But, this book can stand on its own as an odd piece of post-apocalyptic sci-fi. I don't want to give too much away but VanderMeer's imagination is able to run wild with a humungous, angry lab-grown grizzly bear followed by an army of smaller grizzly bears, robots, bio-tech, destruction, mayhem, magicians and an odd little creature named Borne. Just an entertaining read from start to finish. It's an odd one. But if you're a sci-fi fan, you'll be happy you picked it up.


Recursion

by Blake Crouch

I'm a sucker for time travel books and this one definitely delivered. I would consider this a fresh take on the 'sometimes-tired' time travel genre. But this was a page turner. Great writing from Blake Crouch. This motivated me to snag his other book 'Dark Matter' and check out his scripted TV series 'Wayward Pines'. I just found out that this will be made into a Netflix series as well. Look, if you like sci-fi, time travel and just a different 'out there' supernatural story, this is a great book for you. 'Nuff said


Fire!: The Zora Neale Hurston Story

by Peter Bagge

In his later years, Cartoonist/Writer Peter Bagge (of 'Buddy Bradley' and 'Hate 'fame) has decided to turn his muse lens towards strong-willed, tenacious female character studies such as 'Woman Rebel', 'Credo', and finally 'Fire!'. In Fire!, Bagge tells the warts and all story of writer Zora Neale Hurston (best known for her novel 'Their Eyes Were Watching God'), who was a free-spirited black woman in the early 1900's when 'black' and 'woman' and 'free-spirit' were considered taboo by the white elite. It's a fun, entertaining, thoughtful ride with snippets of Zora Neale's life peppered across the pages in Bagge's famous cartoon style. I tip my hat to Bagge, a white male, who had the courage to take on the subject matter. Some may balk at a white man telling the story of a black woman. But, like I said, this is a story of a strong-willed woman who found success despite the obstacles thrown at her, which I think is an uplifting story that will inspire women and men of all ages. Looking forward to reading Woman Rebel and Credo in the near future.


Stranger in the Woods

by Michael Finkel

What a great book to read during the Covid 19 pandemic! The story is a true-life story of Chris Knight, who wandered into the woods in the early 80's and, pretty much, never came out until getting arrested 26 years later. The book makes you question what's important in this world. Getting likes on Facebook or Instagram? Or just enjoying life and the great outdoors as the day is here? Obviously we don't all have to be a hermit like Chris Knight and hide in the woods for 26 years, but there's some nice little snippets about enjoying life that I'll definitely take with me on my life journey. Minus all the burglary charges held against him and some of his personal psychological flaws, this Knight guy may be one of the smartest guys in the world. Stay tuned and I'll let you know in (hopefully) 40 years.


Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio

by Derf Backderf

Great book by Backderf. Lots of research and interviews went into this book, which follows the fateful days leading up to the killings of four students at Kent State in 1970. The history, the backstory and the character arcs (and of course the art), had me transfixed from the first few pages, then I was hooked. What a great undertaking to create this book. Hopefully he gets the awards and recognition for this. Personally, I didn't know much about the Kent State shootings, this totally filled in the blanks (and then some). Just a great story overall. If you liked this, I highly recommend Derf's other books, 'My Friend Dahmer' and 'Trashed' as well.


March - Book One

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell

What an extremely appropriate book to read in 2020. About the life, story, and heroism of John Lewis. I knew a little bit about John Lewis, but this book is packed full of history, biography, and crazy racial injustices that didn't happen too long ago. It's amazing how far we think we've come, only to continue to be reminded that we've got a lot of work to do together as a nation to heal our wounds. With great story arc by Lewis and Aydin as well as fantastic artwork by Powell; I probably should've picked up this book sooner. But, I'm sort of glad I saved it for right here, right now. Looking forward to Book Two and Book Three of the series

Other Top Reads From Year's Past:
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