The First Week Aboard the Pequod

So, three books down for the New Year thus far, and it's still smooth sailing. No surprise there, however, considering that as I have been off both work and school, the only thing to truly contend with reading time is Mad Men on dvd. Oh, the struggles (I did get through season one of Mad Men, by the way. Fantastic. Usually if a show doesn't have vampires, wizards, or aliens, I'm not interested. This show, however lacking in the supernatural it may be, is nonetheless excellent).

The first book I harpooned was "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". The undead and classical literature: what better combination could there be? This book took the original text of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and mixed in a delightful zombie apocalypse. Elizabeth no longer simply sharp-witted, for now she wields a katana as sharp as her tongue. She is highly skilled in zombie-slaying, as is Mr. Darcy (naturally). This book was tremendously funny. If you've always wanted to read Jane Austen but find yourself unable to immerse yourself in the subtleties of 19th century class-humor, this is a great way to read the book and still be entertained (though, for the record, the original is still my favorite of the two). It's a great way for you boys to enjoy it, however. You'll get the benefit of knowing the basic points, and some of the finer points, of Jane Austen (a good way to impress the ladies) but get a healthy dose of blood and gore.

The second whale that I landed was "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer". This book was dark, macabre, and elegant. It also had touches of humor, and was laced with magical realism. And, as usual, the book was better than the movie. You're left with less of a "What the hell was that ending?!' feeling, because the book sets it up a whole lot better. Not for those who like happy stories. It is fully dark,and pretty disturbing. Of course, these attributes only recommended it further to my twisted tastes. The descriptions were so  luscious, and you feel as if you could smell all the scents it lingers on. Very 'Poe' in its story. I thought it was wonderful, engaging, and was crafted delicately and beautifully.

The third whale to be pulled up onto my deck (that sounds a bit PG-13, doesn't it?) was "Witch and Wizard". The book was a graduation gift from a friend (Hi, Rebecca! Shout out. Raise the roof, and all those nineties phrases) I love YA literature (guess that's good, seeing as I'm gonna be teaching high school english), and this was a great example of why.  It was so much fun, I absolutely could not put it down, and I can't wait to read the second one. It was also a nice light break from the darkness of "Perfume". It is a great mix of two of my favorite genres: Dystopian literature and Fantasy. The characters are well rendered, and the story wonderful. It switches between the voice of the two main characters, a brother and sister named Whit and Wisty, who find themselves in possession of powers they never dreamed of. It moves very smoothly between both points of view, and weaves a world that is tangible and frightening.

Next on the list, I have "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", and "The Bleak House". I have yet to decided on the third. Bring on the novels! Plus, a healthy dose of red wine and coffee (at the appropriate times of day, of course. Wine with breakfast and coffee only after 10 pm). For the antioxidants, wink wink.

By the way, does anybody know why there seems to be a sharply askew orange-to-blue ratio in a bag of Pixy Stix? Far too few blue. This has long been weighing on my mind. I wish there were a way to buy a bag of only blue and purple. Does anybody really even like the orange ones? Shame on you if you do, its almost as bad as preferring oatmeal raisin to chocolate chip. Sick bastards.