WTF? Rolling Stone (Feb 21, 08) & Britney Spears

My new subscription to RS has finally started showing up regularly, and whose giant mug do I see on the cover when I open my mailbox? Britney f***ing Spears! Why? Answer me that.

In the words of that other eternally fan, “Leave Britney alone!” (my mascara’s running from my burning tears of shame…). Please Rolling Stone, never do this again.

Jimmy Corrigan : The Smartest Kid on Earth – by Chris Ware

Took this out from the library yesterday on a whim, and finished it this morning. I have to say, this is one big work (and I’m not just talking about page numbers here – although the book could be used as a booster seat for a small person – not that I’m suggesting that.

Ware does different things with frames. Some go this way, some that. Some have LOTS of text (which is really, really small), and some fill the page with image.

The story was tough for me to follow until I was halfway in. In fact, I still am not sure who Jimmy is – so many characters are named Jimmy. The time track is also confusing, jumping in between memories of different characters, etc.

Picture every embarrassing, awkward moment you’ve had, and roll that into a daily existence. That’s the main character(s). The book is overwhelmingly despondent and bleak, but seems to end with the promise of hope and good things tomorrow (it ends on Thanksgiving night with two of these “outcasts” meeting each other).

I don’t feel the worse for reading it, but I do feel like I missed a lot due to the scope of Ware’s mind. Oh, you must read the inner flap – the history of comics is priceless.

Finished: 2/16/08
Pages: 380
Running page count: 3,179

from The Haunted Bookshop

“Printer’s ink has been running a race against gunpowder these many, many years. Ink is handicapped, in a way, because you can blow up a man with gunpowder in half a second, while it may twenty years to blow him up with a book. But gunpowder destroys itself along with its victim, while a book can keep on exploding for centuries.” (Roger Mifflin)

The Haunted Bookshop – by Christopher Morley

Another “B&N Library of Essential Reading” book, and not a bad one at that. Morley tells of a “haunted” used bookshop (haunted by the ghosts of dead authors, of course), its eccentric owner (Roger Mifflin), his wife (Helen), an attractive girl who comes to work (Titania), an advertising man who falls for Titania (Aubrey), and, of course, the dog (Bock).

Oh yeah, Morely weaves in a subplot with German spies who like to blow things up (in the newly post-World War 2 world). Roger’s eccentricities are fun to follow, and he is a really believable character. Aubrey, not so much. A bit too much jumping to conclusions, a bit too much patriotism involved in those conclusions.

Overall, enjoyable.

Finished: 2/16/08
Pages: 155
Running page count: 2,799

Understanding Digital Photography – by Bryan Peterson

Excellent book! Great photos, great tips. Loved it!

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal – by Christopher More

An irreverent, satiric, sarcastic, and humorous look at Christ’s life, from the age of 7 to his crucifixion, as told by Biff, his childhood pal. You know, the missing years, missing gospel, etc.

The “religious” aspect aside, Moore humanizes Christ in this book more so than Christ’s “other” book (the Bible, of course). We see him (Christ) learn about being the Messiah, talk to his Father (and getting no response), learn Buddhism and the martial arts, and all those doubts and problems along the way. Biff protects him. Biff grounds him. Biff allows him to fully realize his potential.

Come on. Any book that has Jesus insisting on including “Bless’d are the Dumbfucks” in the Beatitudes can’t be that bad, right? I laughed my ass off for a week. I think this is a book that needs to be read and appreciated.

Finished: 1/26/08
Pages: 417
Running page count: 2,644

Top 100: Simplified Tips & Tricks for Digital Photography – by Rob Sheppard

Interesting ideas, presented in a simple manner, with great photos and revealing diagrams. Definitely a good one to own and refer back to.

Finished: 1/21/08
Pages: 211
Running Page Count: 2,227

from Watchmen

“We do not do this thing because it is permitted. We do it because we have to. We do it because we are compelled.” – Rorsharch

Watchmen – by Alan Moore

This came to me highly recommended, and I finally got around to reading this highly ambitious work. It took me forever to finish, though. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. It was an interesting novel, and the writing and the graphics were fine, but something just didn’t stick. It didn’t grab me like other graphic novels (Fables, Y: Last Man Standing, or Preacher) I’ve read did. I did find it interesting, though, how, twenty years later, the social commentaries and ever-present “World War 3″ is still quite prevalent today.

My favorite line from Rorsharch: “We do not do this thing because it is permitted. We do it because we have to. We do it because we are compelled.”

Finished: 1/21/08
Pages: 416
Running page count: 2,016

The Kodak Most Basic Book of Digital Photography – by Jeff Wignall

A quick and easy read. Explains the basic concepts, well, basically. I’ll probably re-read this a few more times, until all these new terms and concepts start to become 2nd nature.

Finished: 1/19/08
Pages: 93
Running page count: 1,600