A Time-Shift Romance (Book) (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Well hello there. Whoa, I just realized that I wrote another post with the same title. Weird. Anyway, I’m currently spending my time at bus stops, lunch breaks and those 15-20 leisurely minutes in bed before I sleep reading a book from Liana’s collection of fiction. The Time Traveler’s Wife deals with time travel (duh), misdemeanors, past (and current) hip Chicago spots and neighborhoods and an unreasonable amount of loyalty and romance. Yeah, I was surprised when it wasn’t in *my* personal library. Here’s a very very small excerpt from its Amazon page:

Henry De Tamble is a Chicago librarian with “Chrono Displacement” disorder; at random times, he suddenly disappears without warning and finds himself in the past or future, usually at a time or place of importance in his life.

It’s all you need to know (and I honestly think that it’s still TOO much). Hee hee. I’m about 1/2 through, so PLEASE no spoilers. So far, I love it. The author, Audrey Niffenegger, uses so many different landmarks - The Field Museum, the Aragon Ballroom, Ann Sathers, and the ‘L‘ to name a few - that I can visualize the environments with clarity. Peeps back in Chicago should read it for the localization of it all! Haha.

The banality of time travel has become a bit of a tiring exercise in recent memory, but the book easily shifts ’round and ’round… because you’re instantly drawn into the romance. There is no “Choose your Adventure” type of page flipping here! Audrey has created marvelous cues to show where the characters are in a specific timeline and have beautifully matched their speech and mannerisms to their age… but rubberbands their overall personality in a seamless dance of consistency and congruence.

I’d go on, but I have to finish the book! I’d recommend this to anyone who likes a bit of humanity with their science fiction. A person cannot live on cortical stack uploads, virtual reality, super soldiers and inappropriate escapades alone! LOL.

Read it? Let me know!

~Spec

A Plant’s Eye for the Cook Guy (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Right before I napped on the couch next to the window full of sun, I read a few chapters of Botany of Desire, a book by Michael Pollen.

Working in his garden one day, Michael Pollan hit pay dirt in the form of an idea: do plants, he wondered, use humans as much as we use them? While the question is not entirely original, the way Pollan examines this complex coevolution by looking at the natural world from the perspective of plants is unique. The result is a fascinating and engaging look at the true nature of domestication.

It’s quite the interesting read. Upon Liana’s recommendation, I picked it up from our bookshelf and figured it’d be a refreshing step-back from all of the restaurant-based non-fiction that I’ve been getting from Michael Ruhlman: The Reach of a Chef and his previous book (thanks again Jeff!).

Understandably, I can find inspiration in the short introspections of Thomas Keller, Anthony Bourdain and Michael Symon… they’re arguably at the height of their game (some of their fame transferred over to television, but who’s really keeping track hee hee)… but what would I enjoy in a book about plants?

Passion. What I find myself being drawn into these books is the stories of peoples’ lives and how they focus their existence for the pursuit of the perfect food - be it haute cuisine or an apple picked off of a branch. To save this post from getting too long, it’s simply something to aspire to be.

I just have to set my goals and run with it.

~Spec

Couch Surfing in the U District (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

While in Redmond yesterday, Liana and I picked up a few books in preparation for some serious cafe couch reading today. We ended up at Cafe on the Ave in the University District, where they serve some tasty breakfast all day and have comfy couches to claim for an afternoon. YAY. The place wasn’t as welcoming as the cafe from Valentine’s weekend, but it was a nice place nonetheless.

While we were there, Liana started on Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, while I cracked open The Reach of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman, the leading authority on what’s going on in the restaurant industry (and an in-depth look into a chef’s mind). Amazon has a quick summary:

For his previous explorations into the restaurant kitchen and the men and women who call it home, Michael Ruhlman has been described by Anthony Bourdain as “the greatest living writer on the subject of chefs—and on the business of preparing food.” In The Reach of a Chef, Ruhlman examines the profound shift in American culture that has raised restaurant cooking to the level of performance art and the status of the chef to celebrity CEO. Bibliophiles and foodies alike will savor this intimate meeting with some of the most famous chefs in the kitchens of the hottest restaurants in the world.

I’ve read a few of Ruhlman’s previous books (thanks Jeff for the present!) and there’s definitely been a lot of overlapping of information through out the series. I’ve been looking forward to this book because it describes the students that joined culinary school after the huge spotlight on the restaurant industry… which is pretty much me. LOL. Regrettably, I’ll probably learn how people like myself have disrupted (read: destroyed) the space-time continuum regular flow of the restaurant industry, but maybe I’ll learn where the future is going!

YAY Reading!

~Spec

A Collection of Words. (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Barry Eisler’s Hard Rain. Second book in the John Rain series. It, I am reading.

~Spec

Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

I’ve been really under the weather these past couple of days… which obviously means that I’m sick (boo). It also means that I have some free time to read (yay)! I just finished Haruki Murakami’s - Kafka on the Shore. Hailed as a modern Greek tragedy, the book bounces back and forth between two interrelated plots and ends with a… well… honestly… I can’t explain it. I don’t think I could if I tried (and I think I just did). I just don’t have the vocabulary for it. All I can say is that after reading the ending, I needed a few hours to decompress.

In the book, you’ll find heightened and unusual abilities, intelligent musical references, time-shifted romances, projected extensions of self, and pure and utter randomness. It may sound ridiculous (only because Murakami came way before him), but would liken this book to a Neil Gaiman novel**. Same amount of wonder and unexpectedness that I’ve come to love from Neil, but with the cultural backdrop and perspective of a solid Japanese writer. By far my favorite Murakami book. If you’re a fan of Murakami, don’t hesitate to read it! Break out the mint tea (hot or iced), find some shade, throw on some Jazztronic and prepare yourself for an interesting read!

Kafka on the ShooOoOooooOoOore.

~Spec

**A related note: A few weeks ago, I read Stardust before it came out in theaters and I loved it. I have not yet gone to see the movie, only because I would hate for it to spoil the book. Albeit a lil’ short, it’s great for a weekend read.

Street Fighter - No Pixels! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Hallo. I’ll just start off by saying that the Street Fighter series is better than Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct, Soul Calibur, Virtua Fighter, your mom’s chicken salad and Transformers The Movie. I SWEAR. There’s nothing like throwing a HA-DO-KEN while your silly opponent tries to cancel it out with their own fireball (whatever flavor it may be). That’s why I want this damn artbook so badly… it’s nice seeing them all hanging out… it’s like that fuzzy feeling that you get when you watch those Tom and Jerry cartoons where they’re friends. KNOW WHATTA MEAN!?!?! Details follow:

Cover Art: Arnold Tsang
Graphic Design: Erik Ko

Now we can finally unveil our big summer surprise!

At conventions throughout the summer and in stores this fall will be a 300+ page artbook jammed with UDON artwork we’ve done for Capcom: comic books, video games, cards, toys, statues and much more. In addition, the book has a brand new tribute section filled with new pin-ups of Capcom properties and a Tutorial section with step-by-step examples of some of our digital painting techniques.

The first place you’ll be able to purchase this hard cover beauty is at Anime Expo this coming weekend.

So uhhh… I won’t be @ the Anime Expo (only because my Rock Lee jumpsuit didn’t arrive on time rofl). Sad. But as I read on Udon’s (the publisher) Deviant Art Page, it will go on sale online later this summer. I’m excited! Now all I need is a coffee table for this coffee table book!

YAY Street Fighter!

~Spec

Dancin’ & Reading - Reading and Dancin’! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

2007 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
June 9-10, 16-17, and 23-24

In our 29th year, the Festival will feature 29 dance companies representing dance traditions from 20 cultures and featuring over 500 dancers.

Liana (no silly, that’s not her in the picture above) is performing today with the Lily Cai Dance Company @ the Palace of Fine Arts. We’re gonna try and check out Mamacita on Union Street afterwards and then chill for the rest of the day. w00p w00p!

I haven’t posted about it yet, but I’m 50 pages close to finishing The Harsh Cry of the Heron by Lian Hearn - book 4 of the Otori series (ZOMG SAMURAI)! I’ll either follow up with Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bordain or Liana’s borrowed copy of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. I’m really into the John Rain Series by Barry Eisler (the first iteration - Hard Rain was decent), but I feel it’s too mainstream for my tastes. All of that, and I’m trying to read Ender’s Game all over again! Hee hee. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD. The goal is down. THE GOAL IS DOWN!!one!!!1won!!!1!1!one!1!!! LOL.

YAY BOOKS!

~Spec

While You Were Watching 300… (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

…I’ll be watching The Namesake, starring Kal Penn. I *just* blogged about the book, and now I find out that it’s a freaking movie… that came out YESTERDAY. I BLOGGED ABOUT A BOOK ON THE SAME DAY THAT THE MOVIE ADAPTATION CAME OUT. OMGGGGG. I AM SO ESP.

So anyway, I’ve also heard UBERTASTICALLY GREAT THINGS about 300. Apparently, the storyline gives both men and women alike an undeniable necessity to scream for blood. More hype than Snakes on a Plane… and it looks like it’s worth it to boot!

But, since The Namesake is only screening in select cities (YAY. I heart SF), I figure that I can always catch 300 on a “throwaway” relax-time night. I hope the movie does the book justice. I’m a big fan of Jhumpa Lahiri’s work. What I’m *really* curious about is whether or not Kal can pull of a serious non-stoner role. Mmmmm… sliders.

I MISS WHITECASTLE!!!

~Spec

UPDATE: Going to the 5:30PM showing @ the Embarcadero! YAY.

Truer words have never been said. (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

There is not enough time to do all the nothing we want to do.”
-Bill Watterson

Creator of Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson created a comical world that honestly influenced my outlook on life ever since I was a kid.

He is my personal hero.

Amen Bill, Amen.

~Spec

The Namesake, The Book (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

On a leap of blind faith, I’ll be purchasing The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri today @ a local bookstore as recommended by Atish. I’ve been itching for something to read during my lunch breaks (I love, and honestly need, to decompress in solitude in the middle of the day), so our “Hey you read this” talk came @ a good time.

The Namesake was also adapted into a movie this year, which I absolutely cannot link to in fears that I would happen upon a spoiler or two. LOL, who am I kidding. The trailer is here - IMDB entry is here too. I’ll definitely check it out when I finish the book. Maybe we can read it all @ the same time and then go out to a movie and buy some hot dogs and some nachos and a huge fizzy sugary thing. Or you know, rent it. Hee hee.

I think Freakonomics is next… Jacqui LOVED it… so logically… I will too. Don’t believe me? Let’s break it down with conditional reasoning:

If Jacqui loves Freakonomics,
and Herschell loves all things Jacqui loves,
____________________________________________
∴ Herschell loves Freaknomics

Now that I think about it, I don’t think this applies to underwear. Jacqui likes lace and tall sexy f-me boots WAAAYYY too much. Wait… now that I think about it MORE… I think it still applies. I just don’t want to wear it. Yeah. ROFL.

YAY philoso-blog-ophy

~Spec