Tag: Comedy

Updates

March Recap 2016

Geoff W

2016 03-27 Fancy New Work ShoesIt has been a LONG March. I recently announced to my workplace that I would be transitioning out for another job. I wrapped up a huge project (see video below). AND I am gearing up for my last week at my current job next week. Add in that I somehow read ten books and attended quite a few events, I’m impressed you’re getting any sort of wrap up at all.

As part of my new job I am going to have to dress nicer (if you know me, you’re probably wondering why in the hell I accepted knowing that) so I went out last weekend and bought some new swanky shoes (above is one pair) and three pair of nice pants that I still need to get tailored. It’ll be different that’s for sure, but I’m excited for the transition. Now on to the books!

Continue reading “March Recap 2016” →

Books

Book 411: Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic – Alison Bechdel

Geoff W

Bechdel, Alison - Fun HomeI first read Fun Home in undergrad after my friend Mia gave me a copy not long after it came out in paperback. (I’m pretty sure it was paperback and I’m pretty sure it was Mia. I wasn’t so great at tracking who, when or where books came from back then…oh the olden days :-D)

Either way, I remember thoroughly loving it that first time I read it. I even went out of my way to read Camus’ A Happy Death after I finished even though I have very little recollection of it now other than these quotes I saved on a proto-blog I had that I’m pretty sure it was called East Coast Traditional Meets West Coast Casual or something like that (I stole it from a furniture magazine.)

Continue reading “Book 411: Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic – Alison Bechdel” →

Books

Book 410: First Among Sequels (Thursday Next #5) – Jasper Fforde

Geoff W

Fforde, Jasper - First Among Sequels (Thursday Next #5)This series has finally slowed down. This isn’t a detraction, just a statement. Picking up more than 14 years after the end of Something Rotten, First Among Sequels just didn’t feel quite the same. Don’t get me wrong, there was absurdity, Fforde’s genius pushes the boundaries and Thursday Next is still a great character, but it just wasn’t the same.

As I mentioned in my post about Something Rotten I found out after I’d started this novel that the last three of the published novels in the Thursday Next series are actually a second series and not the same. It’s a little misleading as websites like Goodreads and Amazon group them together. There’s even a compendium of the first five: A Thursday Next Digital Collection: Novels 1-5 (Amazon Link). If I would’ve known about the time gap and the “separate series” portion I would’ve paused after book four instead of five, but oh well.

Continue reading “Book 410: First Among Sequels (Thursday Next #5) – Jasper Fforde” →

Books

Book 409: Something Rotten (Thursday Next #4) – Jasper Fforde

Geoff W

Fforde, Jasper - Something Rotten (Thursay Next #4)Just when you think it can’t get any stranger, Jasper Fforde makes sure to let you know it can and it will:

“The fate of all life on this beautiful planet decided on the swing of a croquet mallet.” (351)

I mean COME ON! Anyone who can turn croquet into a full-contact sport and make me want to watch it has to be a genius right?

I also can’t believe it took me until almost 12 hours later to finally connect the title to most of the story, as in hey this story has a lot about Hamlet in it and the quote “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” even appears! Thanks Fforde for reminding me I’m just another cog in the human machine. Epic fail on my part.

Continue reading “Book 409: Something Rotten (Thursday Next #4) – Jasper Fforde” →

Books

Book 408: The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next #3) – Jasper Fforde

Geoff W

Fforde, Jasper - The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next #3)I think this series is just going to get better and better! Although book three took a lot longer to read that the first two, it was because of my own travels, being sick and once again sinking into the sandbox world of Minecraft, this time on PS4. Either way, it’s my first book of 2016 and what a great way to transition to a new year.

This book picks up right after Lost in a Good Book and takes place almost exclusively in the Book World! I loved learning even more about Jurisfiction, the Council of Genres, Text Grand Central and the internal politics of them all. I cannot wait to see where the series goes over the next few books. I think I’m going to finish out those I have left on my shelf, Something Rotten and First Among Sequels and then take a break from Thursday Next, but I will finish the series, it’s too good not to! I already want to check out Fforde’s other series, Nursery Crime, a companion Book World series which he sets up in this novel (see the last quote under additional quotes)!

Continue reading “Book 408: The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next #3) – Jasper Fforde” →