Art Review: Moe Murakami

Giant Robot had a tiny little blurb about Moe Murakami.

So I googled her and found her official site with lots more:

I have yet to come across a Murakami that I don't adore...

Book Review: Kafka on the Shore

One of Murakami's best, for sure!  I read this book in two sittings, and it's almost 500 pages. I literally did not want to put this one down.

There are two parallel stories going on at once.  One of a young boy running away from his father's prophecy of Oedipal proportions, another of an old man on a mission, whose memory has been wiped clean during a bizarre WWII incident.  The old man can talk to cats.  The young boy sees ghosts, and travels to others' dreams in his own dreams.  Johnnie Walker (yup, as in whiskey) and The Colonel (from KFC) come to life.  The unbelievable becomes believable.

Murakami writes of the loneliness and isolation of human existence like no one else.  He truly connects with the collective unconscious.  Freud and Jung would have a field day interpreting his books.  There are parts of the book that are pretty twisted, but this story still has hope.

Here is Murakami's official website, it's very moody and fun to look at.  I still have 4 or 5 books of his left to read, I just ordered a bunch from the library.   Stay tuned!

Twilight Original Movie Soundtrack

As I mentioned in a previous post, I dig this music.

My significant other compared "Bella's Lullaby" to the cheesy background music played when a Tour de France athlete is being profiled on TV. But I like it. I guess I'm a true fan.

Tea Forte

I received this box of tea from Tea Forte as a gift...delicious! 

The tea comes in little silken pyramids, and the flavors are strong.  3 of the teas have caffeine, and 3 are caffeine-free, so I can drink away, day and night.

Book Review: Breaking Dawn

So I actually read and finished this book a couple of weekends ago.  But I couldn't think of anything to post on Christmas day...and a review of this book seemed perfect, so here it is, a bit delayed.  It's like the gift that keeps on giving.

Book 4 of the Twilight series goes way off the deep-end.  I mean, shit happens, and I'll leave it at that.  Granted, these books are not based on reality, but it veers even further away from the norm and teeters on the bizarre.  It's written from the perspetive of Bella, then Jacob, and then Bella again.  And fear not, le vampire Edward features in it prominently.  Whew.


I'm officially a Twilight addict.  Once I get my hands on a book, I ignore my boyfriend, neglect house chores, and don't return phone calls.  I bombard my friends with emails about vampires.  I've spent way too much time googling "Robert Pattinson".  (Speaking of whom, he can really sing!  I downloaded the Twilight soundtrack, and although I may be a tiny bit biased, I recommend it.)

tulips

Gifted to me after a long weekend:)

dog or fox?

Great headline: Man's pet "dog" was rare fox.

Happy Holidays!

Super cute video.

Book Review: Signed, Mata Hari

A lovely, sad poetic look at the life of Mata Hari. The chapters alternate between the past (her life in Java with her abusive husband and two children), and the present--a jail cell, where she awaits a verdict on whether she is guilty or not of espionage. We know how the story ends--death by firing squad. But to this day, there is much speculation as to the facts, and the facts are not known. Was she a double agent or not? The records of her case are sealed until 2017.

Book Review: Eclipse

I just finished book 3 of the Twilight series, which means I'll be stalking my friend this week for book 4, Breaking Dawn. Book 4 is the final book, I shudder to think what will I do when I'm done?

Eclipse is similar in setting and pace to the others--Bella is still in high school about to graduate in Forks, Washington, and yes, the story drags at times. Thank god Edward is back full-time (he wasn't in a good chunk of Book 2)...but he has some competition with Jacob's relationship with Bella. Jacob should just go away.

As I've said before, Meyer's writing isn't great, but she easily taps into the mind of a teenager. And I can't get enough of the vampires! Vampires are way cooler than werewolves.

I'm going to see the movie Twilight again this weekend. And I'm not ashamed.

Book Review: The Elephant Vanishes

An elephant vanishes, a dwarf dances, TV People interfere with life, and a little green monster shows up in a woman's house.

This is only part of what you'll find in this collection of Haruki Murakami's short stories. A quick read, and a fun escape.

Book Review: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

This book is massive. I read the hardcover version, which was a mistake. It was terribly intimidating. I preferred to use the book as a stepping-stool, especially when getting into bed. My bed is really high off the ground.

The story starts with a guy cooking spaghetti. He gets interrupted by a phone call from an anonymous woman, and his dull and monotonous life becomes anything but dull and monotonous. In true Murakami style, the unreal becomes real, dreams become reality, and reality is a life of loneliness and isolation. This book moved at a slower pace than the other Murakami books I've read, and I had trouble staying focused with it. I had it out on loan from the library, and before I knew it my three weeks were up. I skimmed through the end, and don't know when I'll be ready to attempt this book again.

Let me know if you had better luck with this one.

Book Review: New Moon

Ok, so I'm officially obsessed.

This is the second book of the Twilight series. After reading the first book, I saw the movie, and developed a massive crush on the vampire Edward. Granted, the movie is low-budget and silly at times, but it got me hooked. There is something about being in love with a vampire that is captivating.

Join the party, you must read this series!

I'm dreaming vampires, and waiting to get my hands on book three...

Book Review: A Wild Sheep Chase

A wild sheep chase indeed! I was in sheep heaven reading this book. It all starts with a mutant sheep with a star on it's back, which sets our main protagonist off to a sheep-themed adventure involving a Sheep Man and a ghost. As usual, Haruki Murakami creates a reality that is utterly bizarre, yet somewhat believable. One of his best books for sure.

Book Review: Twilight

Ok, I know this book is for teens. But my coworker read it and recommended it, so I picked it up. And could not put it down. Not sure why...the writing is not great, and some parts drag on slowly. But the two main characters--Bella and her vampire boyfriend Edward---are totally addictive. It definitely brings back memories of your first crush.

weeble wobbles

I had the weeble wobble song in my head the other day.

Honest Tea

 I've been picking up a bottle of Honest Tea every time I go to Whole Foods.

I like it because it really tastes like tea.  They brew from tea leaves and don't use a lot of sugar, so it doesn't taste like sugared crappy junk food.

Deep thoughts from the back of the bottle:

In 2700 BC, a Chinese emperor discovered the great taste of tea when a few leaves fell in a pot of boiling water.  The moral:  instead of saying "Oops," say "Why not?"