Day 4: Book.

The later part of 2010 has been a year of rereading books and reading comic books.

One new book that I read this year that does stick out is Chuck Thompson's "To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism." I actually wrote about it at the beginning of the year here.

I mainly read non-fiction books about travel and I find that Thompson is one of those rare travel writers who tells the truth. He doesn't gussy it up to some sparkling revelation while on the Eiffel Tower or in a yurt with some nomadic Mongolians. If you've done any traveling I recommend reading his books not only are they humorous but honest reflections of what it is like to travel.

I can't really say much more than what I've said already. You should just read the book.

Happy Endings.

I love reading, but sometimes (about once a month) I enjoy being read to. So I pay for my monthly subscription to Audible to get an audiobook or two every month it is nice for long trips for work or work in general.

Recently I decided to re-read "Do Travel Writers go to Hell?" by Thomas Kohnstamm because I haven't been to the book store lately. Khonstamm mentions the novel "The Beach" several times and all I knew about it was that there was a film adaptation with Leonardo DiCaprio.

So I decided that I'd download the audiobook (legally) and gave it a listen. I was actually quite surprised as I spent ten hours over the last two days that I hadn't read the book sooner. It was right up my alley. I love reading travel books because I can live vicariously through the pages but this one was a little different. It was fiction and a little outlandish at moments but I really did enjoy listening to it.

So once I finished it I did the write thing and got my hands on the film adaptation (illegally). Now I wasn't expecting it to be spot on because ever adaptation isn't always the same. Jurassic Park: The Lost World is a prime example of that because almost nothing is the same between the book and the film. Most of the film was accurate to the book but it always rubs me the wrong way when they leave out main characters and mix them with other sub characters.

The worst is when they change the ending. I love a good movie about losing or ending on a down note, because that is life. You don't always get the girl or some fancy email with a photo attachment of you all happy at one point. Sometimes your punk ass gets stabbed or you get raped by pirates.

I think that is my biggest complaint with adaptations. Why ruin a good thing?

Fuck happy endings!

To Hellholes and Back.

With the significant amount of down time I’ve had in the last few days it is no wonder I read two books, watched a couple seasons of tv shows, and a few shitty movies.  That is the one and only thing I enjoy about being sick being able to “relax” and do your own thing without having to worry if your place is clean or what you are doing at work tomorrow.

Over the last couple years I’ve grown to love Chuck Thompson’s writing.  I picked up his book “Smile When You’re Lying” shortly before heading down to Mexico a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed reading it in the Mexican sunshine. So as soon as I found out he had a new book out I picked it up at my local book store and read the shit out of it while I was sick.

Within the few pages of “To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism” I was hooked. So I had to share a particular couple paragraphs with you from page 7.

“We’ve become to soft. Like Jell-O. You. Me. Everyone. America. Americans. Too fragile to breath in some else’s cigarette smoke, ride a bike without a helmet, or play Texas hold ‘em without a pair of wraparound sunglasses. We’re turning into a nation of fearful twats, obsessed with supposedly tragic childhoods, lousy parents, career disappointments, social outrages, political grudges, and long lists of personal grievances that until recently were collectively known as the human fucking condition.
            Our edges have been beaten away by trophies handed out just for showing up; schools that no longer make kids memorize multiplication tables; doctors who pass out brain meds like Skittles; and therapists who indulge the public’s every impulse to whine and wallow in self obsession. The pussification of America, promoted by corporate empires with an interest in keeping the nation in a state of suspended me-me-me childhood, is especially insulting to anyone with a memory that stretches back to a time when comic books and superheroes were a cultural mainstays only for those under twelve years old and our national leaders didn’t use words like “bad guy” to describe criminals, misfits, and every third unlikable foreigner.”

I highly recommend this book and any work by Chuck Thompson. I’ll lend you some books as long as I get them back. They are always a fun read.

Day 4: Book.

I think one of the best books I read this year was David Cross’s “This is Why I Drink.” It was an entertaining read and the audiobook only made it better. But it is hard for me to decide what book was my favourite as I read so much. Here is some of my notable reads this year.

John Hodgman – “More Information Than You Require.”
William Shatner – “Up Till Now.”
Richard Hammond – “As You Do.”
Anthony Bourdain – “Kitchen Confidential.”
Ted Simon – “Dreaming of Jupiter”
Steve Martin – “Born Standing Up.”
Dan Walsh – “Endless Horizon: A Very Messy Motorcycle Journey Around the World.”

There are many more but I read upwards of thirty books this year so it was hard to choose the best.