book

Wants to read The Life You Want

Wants to read How It Feels to Be Alive: Encounters with Art and Our Selves

Rated The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 10/10

Wants to read Junk

Wants to read Telluria

Rated How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You 8/10

I love The Oatmeal. He takes a normally amusing but mundane event and dials it up to 11. I own his previous compilation, "5 Very Good Reasons to Punch A Dolphin in the Mouth," and he rarely disappoints. This one being close to my heart because I've almost always lived with a cat and they are a nutty species. The only part I found not very funny was the pages placing 2 cats in an office setting like they're employees. Meh. Otherwise, loved it. Thanks to Andrew for lending it to me. :)

Rated In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox 8/10

Carol Burnett is one of my favorite comedians. Even though this book was about the original 11 year run which ended in 1978 when I was probably still being potty-trained, it was one of my favorite shows as a kid because that's when it started to run in syndication. Reading this book was a real trip down memory lane. Carol, Harvey, Vicki, and Tim getting together was lightning in a bottle. Even though what I watched was the stripped down to the skits "Carol Burnett and Friends," I can appreciate the sections covering the parts of the show I never saw, the musicals and mini-musicals. What an amazing list of guest stars!<br/><br/>As I read this I came to one realization, something of this show that would never happen today. A lot of their satire and parodies were send ups of films and shows from a much earlier time, many as old as 30 to 40 years before the original run. Today's sketch shows, if it's not retreading for the millionth time what's currently going on, it's not considered good or a good idea to do. My guess is it's mainly because the collective general knowledge base is so ridiculously tiny that the audience wouldn't understand what's going on. And that's sad.<br/><br/>I have to say that of the stars written about, I don't remember seeing a show with Lucille Ball. Talk about favorite comedians! Burnett and Ball in the same bit?? I'm going to have to track that down! The closing essays made me kind of sad and wistful for those shows, but glad they got such a run and so many accolades. I'm also glad Burnett did a little calling out of sorts of what sounds like caddish behavior from Bob Barker. Studio 33, where the show was recorded, was also where "The Price is Right" was recorded and had since been renamed The Bob Barker Studio. A few years ago CBS had wanted to add a plaque to the stage reading The Carol Burnett Stage. Apparently Barker kicked up a fuss, so that particular idea got shelved. What a jerk! However, CBS instead renamed the Artist Entrance the Carol Burnett Artist Entrance. She says she was thrilled because that's where she always entered the stage to do her show, but still. Sharing a commemorative name in the studio would've been a privilege for Barker. Carol Burnett is a legend.

Finished reading 地縛少年 花子くん 2

Finished reading The Art of Southern Charm

Rated The Risus Companion 10/10

Rated Fruits Basket 10/10

Wants to read The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time

Finished reading Otherside Picnic, Vol. 1

Wants to read News from Nowhere and Other Writings

Finished reading Otherside Picnic, Vol. 2

Rated Hamnet 4/10

Wants to read The Greatest Bengali Stories Ever Told

Wants to read Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam

Wants to read الحب والصمت

Wants to read Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption

Wants to read Elizabeth Finch

Wants to read Felix Holt: The Radical

Wants to read Wild Faith: How the Christian Right Is Taking Over America

Wants to read Leaves of Grass: The First (1855) Edition

Rated New Moon 6/10