Reading Challenge 2013: Read A Book A Week

While this is a post about a reading challenge, it is also the start of a challenge to write one blog post–besides Capsule Review and Screen Burn announcement–a week. I got side tracked with all my work for both InveterateMediaJunkies.com and for school. Time to get back on track.

I am not a fast reader. I tend to analyze every element of a story as I read, which makes a book most people can read in hours or days take me at least a week. That coupled with a horrible book addiction and I don’t have a “To Be Read” pile, I have a “To Be Read” mountain. And my bookshelves haven’t seen empty spaces in a while. To combat this, I’m going to try to read a book a week. Below is the preliminary list for 2013.

• Hell House – Richard Matheson*
• The Shining – Stephen King*
• Ghost Story – Peter Straub*
• The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson*
• The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold*
• A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens*
• Grave’s End – Elaine Mercado*
• The Amityville Horror – Jay Anson*
• Bad Monkeys – Matt Ruff
• Dishwasher: One Man’s Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States – Pete Jordan
• The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
• Damned – Chuck Palahniuk
• Rant – same
• Haunted – same
• Lullaby – same
• Choke – same
• Invisible Monsters – same
• Dairy – same
• Downtown Owl – Chuck Klosterman
• The Resurrectionists – Jack O’Connelly
• Feed – Mira Grant
• John Dies At The End – David Wong
• Sandman Slim – Richard Kadrey
• Grailblazers – Tom Holt
• Strange Flesh – Michael Olson
• Leviathan Wakes – James S. A. Corey
• City of Bone – Cassandra Clarke
• Vox – Nicholson Baker
• American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis
• The Garden of Beasts – Eric Larson
• A Visit from the Goon Squad – Jennifer Egan
• Shotgun Sorceress – Lucy Snyder
• Switchblade Goddess - same
• Tempest Rising – Nicole Peeler
• Tracking the Tempest - same
• Sacré Bleu – Christopher Moore
• Lamb – same
• Practical Demon-Keeping – same
• Gil’s All Fright Diner – A. Lee Martinez
• Monster - same
• The Nymphos of Rocky Flats – Mario Acevedo
• The Atrocity Archives – Charles Stross
• Secret Talents – Olga Tegora
• The Rum Diaries – Hunter S. Thompson
• Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy – John le Carré
• Uncle Silas – Sheridan Le Fanu
• The Marriage Plot – Jeffrey Eugenides
• Lady Chatterley’s Lover – D. H. Lawrence
• The Menstruating Mall – Carlton Mellick III
• Deity – Vic Mudd
• The Psycho Ex Game – Merrill Maroke and Andy Prieboy
• Fat White Vampire Blues – Andrew Fox

Some of this will change since I will have three classes in the fall and I don’t know what I’ll be reading. The ones for my upcoming Reading in Genres class–marked (*)–are the only permanent ones. I had planned to use this year to go through Chuck Palahniuk’s books, so those will be the last to get axed. But A Memory of Light is coming out on the 8th, so I may get the urge to try to re-read the whole Wheel of Time series. I’ve also been thinking about going through all my Ramsey Campbell books too. So, we will see how this list evolves over the years.

So what about you all? Do you have any reading challenges or certain books that you getting ready for in 2013?

Update: This isn’t the only thing I’m doing this year. Check out the other plans I have for 2013 on my Facebook Page.

R.I.P. The Beard

For almost a year and a half now, my face has been the residency of The Beard. Most people, I think, just assumed that this was a natural permutation of my personality. And, to an extent, it was. But there was more than just extreme bearding behind the wavy coat of facial follicles.

If you’ve read my posts since the transplant, or that have talked to me in person since then, know about the problems I’m having with my legs since the operation. For the last two and half years I tried to get the doctor’s I normally see to help with one of two things:

1. Figure out what’s wrong and how we deal with it
2. Realize this is one of those medical mysteries, but help me figure out how to live with it so I can function in society (i.e. work at a job, take care of myself, etc without the need of family dependence)

In that time, the doctor’s said they do a lot, while not doing anything in the end. Every visit I would keep asking for help at one of the two things I just mentioned, and they would keep promising, but every visit they seemed less and less interested in helping me. It came to the point last year where I realized I could either shower or trim my facial hair, but I couldn’t do both because my legs would get too tired to stand. Around April or May of 2011 I decided to start my silent protest: I would stop trimming my beard until any doctor actually tried to help me.

It shocked the doctors the first time they saw it–it had been 3-6 months worth of growth by then–and I told them what I was doing. After two more visits and they still didn’t do shit, I had to start looking out side of these doctors, because protest or not, they just didn’t care at some level.

Last Friday, after waiting seven months for the appointment, I saw a Neurologist at Johns Hopkins that not only given a thoughtful diagnosis to the problem, but is willing and eager to help me. There are tests and therapy a head of me, but there is at least progression towards an answer, as opposed to my other doctors that might as well have buried their heads in the sand.

And so, my protest is over. The Beard has been shorn.

Now, don’t expect a clean-shaven face from me. I’m still an advocate of Facial Hair Tolerance. More so now after my year and half with The Beard. It really amazes me the visceral reactions people had to it. It was not that long ago that facial hair was dignifying. I don’t know what changed or who that it needed to, but some of the looks of disdain I’ve received were remarkable. Especially in a society that has multiple reality shows about hair salons and Pinterest is awash of ways for women to style hair, men can’t seem to do anything but have a clean-shaven face if they want to be considered “respectable.”

I can’t shave everyday. I can do it once, but the razor burn I get form that one shave, I feel for a week. If I try to do it sooner, the pain intensifies three-fold. So, I will always be a little hirsute in the face. But I also think that judging someone differently because hair growing where it’s supposed to grow is a like messed up. I’d get into the whole “women shaving themselves bald” thing here too, but I’m trying to keep this post family friendly.

Anyways, let us take a moment to remember how The Beard touched our hearts and thank it for its help in my fight to live a relatively normal life. I shall miss you, Friend.

Hellboy Ron Perlman is a Prince Among Men... And We Have the Pics To Prove It

Reblogged from :

When little Zachary was asked by the Make-A-Wish folks what he would most like to do-- or who he would most like to meet-- he reached for a pretty big request.

What makes this wish different from most: Zachary didn't ask to spend time with some famous Baseball Player or some "average guy" like James Bond. He wanted to meet a fictional character whose look and persona would take a very real actor (and a couple of make-up artists) several long hours to reproduce.

Read more… 131 more words

Had to share this because there aren't nearly enough stories about celebrities doing this kind of good these days.

Mister Rogers Remix

It’s been pretty busy here getting ready to go up to Seton Hill on Tuesday. But when I saw this, I thought everyone should check it out, especially with your kids if you have any.

Bicentennial Man

 

Well, I had this great idea for my 200th post, but between the technical difficulty in my present surroundings and the vain, self-image (I’m too fat right now to video tape consciously) concerns, I had to put that on hold.

But it has been a few months since there has been much substance on here, which I hope to change and wanted to get started on that.

1. My Screen Burn column over at InveterateMediaJunkies.com is doing well. I have been working on a massive one recently that will be split up into weekly installments. I also started a Twitter account for it so that my instant reactions and opinions on TV and related news is separate from my regular Twitter feed. Please follow if you are enjoying the column.
2. I’m getting geared up to go back to Seton Hill in June. I’ve been working on notes for the three projects I talked about before. I stayed up Thursday night trying to get a draft of “Witches’ Brooms” ready to send out for the critique session during the Residency. I went backed an looked at all the notes people have given me during its life time. It was hard since there have been three versions of it. I’m not expecting this to be the last one. This is the first story I’ve written that has a female protagonist. I’ve always been hesitant to write women, but that is also why I want this story scrutinized as much as I can.
3. In that last post, I talked about doing a Mass Effect storyline post. I had planned on it, but was asked to write something for IMJ. But since that hasn’t gone up, I’m going to post it here later in the month. Granted, it’s been out a while and most people have talked about it. but with the “ending explanation” DLC coming out this summer, I’m sure the discussion will pick back up. In fact, I might wait till that comes out before I post.
4. Recently, I have returned to art. I really haven’t had a lot of time for it since high school, but I finally have time to play around with Procreate for traditional art and Bryce 7 for 3D abstract art. I’ll start posting my creations here and on my new Pinterest account. Now, these are not masterpieces, just some fun I that is different from writing or music. Here are two examples:

   

   

   
   
   

And there will be more returning features coming back over the months including: Monthly Music, Book Journey, and Vulgar Argot. Also, I have changed the background and header here, these are just temporary. I want freshen up the site, but haven’t had the time to sit down and make new designs. That is on my plate as well. It may even feature some the art work I’ll be posting here.

It’s kinda crazy that I’m at 200 posts in just under 4 years. Thank you all for coming by! And feel free to send suggestions of what you want to see. Who knows, a good one may result in a prize!