I like to be kept entertained and I always keep tabs on high quality books, music and films. If that sort of thing is a big deal to you too, browse through this page and see what I keep recommending to people over the years.

Yes, I did notice that I haven’t updated for two years- big deal! These things are classic!

My favorite Books
2006:
“Cherry” Mary Karr
“Damage” Josephine Hart
“Don’t Panic” Neil Gaiman
“Ekaterina” Donald Harrington
“Lolita” Vladimir Nabokov
“One Hundred Years of Solitude” Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“Possession” A.S. Byatt
“Pure Drivel” Steve Martin
“Shopgirl” Steve Martin
“Tabloid Dreams” Robert Olen Butler
“The Butterfly Tattoo” Philip Pullman
“The Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy” Douglas Adams
“The Importance Of Being Earnest” Oscar Wilde
“The Miracle Strain” Michael Cordy

My favorite Music
2006:
The Afghan Whigs
Belle and Sebastian
Bob Dylan
Broken Social Scene
Clap your hands say yeah!
The Decemberists
Feist
Interpol
Jeff Buckley
The Knife
The Metric
Nelly Furtado
Sean Lennon
Sufjan Stevens

2006 in books
[photopress:cherry_1.jpg,full,alignleft]Cherry by Mary Karr – It’s nothing like Golden’s Memoir’s of a Geisha but it’s a must read memoirs when you’re into some Texan vulgarity. This is the author’s account of growing up hormonally charged in the seventies, when at the peak of her adolescent years. There’s almost a singsong way Karr narrates her story, which is to say as though she was whispering some amusing secret to you.

[photopress:dam.jpg,full,alignleft]Damage by Josephine Hart – “Damaged people are dangerous…” This is a novel about a catharsis of a man who is broken. Damaged by the one woman who did not hesitate to turn his life around, as he had damaged the one man he had loved: his son. Hart digs into the intricate details of emotion in plain, simple, English.

[photopress:dp.jpg,full,alignleft]Don’t Panic by Neil Gaiman – This is an occult book that’ll make any Monty Python fan panic. Don’t Panic is Gaiman’s biography of the legend Douglas Adams who was the creator of The Hitchhiker’s guide to Galaxy. Ordinarily, Gaiman’s works have been a novelty of sorts but for some reason, he shifts his gear and turns the reader into a voyeur. He takes you a step closer to Adam’s memory of the earlier days (especially the days when he was coming up with Marvin) and to his bizarre source of humor: aptly put by the pivotal use of towels in his famous works. I stress that this is an occult book, meaning if you haven’t read any of Adam’s books or have at least been a John Cleese fan, this is not the book for you. On that note, how can you not have read any of their books? You’re missing half your life!

[photopress:ekaterina.jpg,full,alignleft]Ekaterina by Donald Harrington – I’m a big fan of the Russian writer, Vladimir Nabokov, however, it turns out Harrington is a bigger fan. In spite of the glaring allusions to Nabokov in his book Ekaterina, Harrington is able to recapture with his masterful use of prose, the crafty perversion that is common between his character and Nabokov’s Humbert Humbert. Although, Harrington is nothing like the Russian great, as I contend that there is absolutely no way he can provide us the same intellectual cool of Humbert Humbert, it is beautifully written. Ekaterina is a not-so-unique story of a Russian princess-slash-intellectual who steps into the strange world of America (like Humbert) and falls “in love” with her landlord’s kid (like Humbert). Ekaterina writes a book (like Humbert) and is able to sky-rocket to fame (unlike Humbert). It’s inevitable to compare these elements especially if you’re familiar with the preceding work; however, if you’ve never read Lolita (and I’m not talking porn here), the plot unfolds unpredictably.

[photopress:lola_1.jpg,full,alignleft]Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov – Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. No other words can make your heart bleed like Humbert. Rendered as one of the most controversial books at its time, Nabokov’s Lolita is a must read for those whose love for prose and noir is sinful. Nabokov writes about a man who falls helplessly in love with the nymphet Dolores Haze. Therein takes place a meeting of radically different minds—one that of a European intellectual against that of an unnervingly jovial preteen. It is also a story of love that is of the unconventional sort. Obssessive and irrational: It is more than the theme presumed of it, which is a coupling of a middle-aged man and a young girl. Lovers of Nabokov will think that this stereotype is an unintelligent reaction to the very essence of Lolita: there is a love so true, it transcends.

[photopress:oyos_1.jpg,full,alignleft]One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Some say that it’ll take you a hundred years to finish Marquez’s Pulitzer-winning masterpiece. However, mulling through this treasure chest of thought is worth all the time spent on it. It is a saga that sweeps you away to an unknown land, where the Buendia family lives with charming absurdity. We are taken by the heroic, yet, obstinate patriarchs and we see how, inevitably, we are drawn to the women of strength whose love overtakes their awry position in the story. Indeed, Marquez stays true to his innovation of magical realism.

[photopress:possession_1.jpg,full,alignleft]Possession by A.S. Byatt – For lovers of the Victorian era, it will come as no surprise to me if this book is one of your more glorified goods. Two modern day scholars dig into the past of the Victorian poets they have dedicated their academic lives to. Their paths cross and later, they find that, so do the lives of the poet they thought they knew too well. Intrigue, deception, love, sexual hypocrisy and misery are but notable elements of its immense plot. A perfect read for the sophisticated mind. (Alternatives: Yeah, yeah there’s a movie out there. Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart lock lips, yo.)

[photopress:puredrivel_1.jpg,full,alignleft]Pure drivel by Steve Martin – Steve Martin writes and gorgeously so! This is a compilation of some of his most hilarious and sardonic essays. My personal favorite would have to be his take on Lolita at fifty and several quips on how “wonderful” his wife is. Steve is an alien in disguise.

[photopress:shopgirl.jpg,full,alignleft]Shopgirl by Steve Martin – Another favorite from Steve Martin where he writes with a detached sort of compassion. We begin to see Martin’s superb command of realism and irony. I won’t venture into a synopsis instead; I will confess that this book made me cry. You have to read it yourself.

[photopress:tabloid.jpg,full,alignleft]Tabloid Dreams by Robert Olen Butler – The reason why I adore Butler is because he has a way of portraying dysfunctional and equally interesting characters. In this collection of short stories, Butler provokes incredulity. On the other hand, you are thoroughly convinced by the end of the day that Butler is a genius.

[photopress:tat.jpg,full,alignleft]The Butterfly tattoo by Philip Pullman – Unlike his famous dark trilogy, Butterfly tattoo is more on heartbreak. It is a tragic story of killing somebody and the way Pullman writes it is enduringly haunting. The novel is not overdone and that enables it to convey the exact mood that resounds until the end of the story: Such simple things can be so complex.

[photopress:hitch.jpg,full,alignleft]The Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams – Nerd humor much? You may have noted my whole warming up to the notion that I am forever devoted to Douglas Adams’s works. They are absolutely hilarious and at times even, thought provoking. Who else could think of starting his novel by ending everything? To be more specific, end the Earth as we know it. I think that this book shouldn’t even count as Science Fiction. You have here a humorist pretending to be a Scientist, and goddamn it, it’s working. The Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy is open to a world of possibilities. It makes an alien best friend, a towel, a depressed robot, a whale falling from the sky, and a frightening notion that one day, there will be no more McDonald’s, sound all too plausible.

[photopress:imp.jpg,full,alignleft]The importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde - It’s a misfortune not to have too many ways to say how witty and hands-down funny this Classic is. Maybe it’s about a ridiculous case of mistaken identity, and then again, it could be about non-identity. All throughout the story you’ll find yourself asking, “Who the hell is Ernest?” Wilde introduces you to the quirks of English high society back in the late 1800’s wherein two men try to swoon their love interests in the guise of another man by the name of Ernest. Later, secrets are revealed that’ll make Ernest so important alongside being Earnest. Yes, there is a difference. (Alternatives: Movie of the same title starring Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, Reese Witherspoon and Frances O’Connor)

[photopress:strain.jpg,full,alignleft]The Miracle Strain by Michael Cordy – Cordy is a man who had quit his job just so he could write a good idea in his head. I don’t know how things turned out for him but as far as I’m concerned, quitting his job was the best thing that has ever happened to readers with an affair with conspiracy. Miracle Strain is about a man who becomes inextricably involved with an old society called the brothers of Lazarus, who holds the secrets to Christ’s death. (Note that this is before Brown’s Da Vinci Code hype.) The brothers of Lazarus are becoming weary of the prophecy of Christ’s return: When will it be? Meanwhile, a woman with a dark past is out to kill the one man who may have the answer to the genetic make-up of Christ. She thinks that his knowledge will ruin the cause of the Brothers, only to find out in her pursuit that the answer that the Brothers sought was closer than she expected.

2006 in music
What I meant by a best of 2006 list has a lot to do with the best of what I ended up listening to over the year, not necessarily albums that were released in ’06. I must say, I’ve been trying to come up with this list since last week and I realized it’s a pretty tough list to make especially since I have been ridiculously hooked to a lot of artists over the year thanks very much to my lovely music fiend friends Khayriyyah Mod Hanafiah, Naly Phong, Nathaniel James Salisipan, Jeremy Lu and the Internet.

Afghan Whigs, The – Now I have to make reference to my dear friend J. Lu, who calls them, aptly, “White guys who sing like they’re black soul”. Whatever that’s supposed to means, it makes a lot of sense hearing it. But the stranger part about The Afghan Whigs is that they manage to be that and sound sorta 90’s. Yeah, sorta. A load of whatever to something that sounds pleasant.

Belle and Sebastian – These kids never fail me. They released a few EPs – which I can’t wait to get my hands on – before letting out their 2006 happity-dabbity album release, The Life Pursuit. I’m falling in love with the 60’s again thanks to them. Go folk revival/jangle!

Bob Dylan – Modern Times is so apropos and Dylan shows pro form. Period. There are some things new artists have got to pick up from ol’ Bob. He’s getting raspier these days but – dude, Old School is Cool!

Broken Social Scenee – One of my mom’s Christmas gifts happen to be a copy of their album, Beehives and I guess she knows me well enough. I’ve been waiting for these guys since the 2005 album came out and I’m dying for some new material. No… hungry. Jesus, I can’t adequately put how much I love BSS since I found out about them.

Clap your hands and say yeah! – Correct me if I’m wrong, but they’re white noise. Or not. Or maybe. Beats me. But they sound so good, good and so fucking good, who cares?

Decemberists, The – Picaresque was quite a treat at 2005 but 2006 with The Crane Wife out tipped the balance letting The Decemberists achieve musical supercoolness. I love the actual reference to that old Japanese tale about the wife of a man plucking her own feathers so that she could weave silk clothes. You must know the story. Man gets too greedy so the crane wife is driven away, never to return. I hope the “never to return” part won’t happen with these guys.

Feist – What is it with Leslie Feist and all those Canada-only releases?! (Refers to the album Open Season) I need my copies, okay? Feist has the most Enchanting voice. Hint of folk and soul. You will fall in love with her and not just because you’re dyke.

Interpol - And since no one thought they could get any better, they took the initiative. Kye, you are indeed a good friend. I was listening to this album over the summer and it was so goddamn perfect at that time. Haha, figures I’m too hooked up with the epic Obstacle 1 & 2. And the fact that post punk bands actually have something to write about!

Jeff Buckley – He is definitely missed. I’m really a sucker for skinny, sweaty guys playing the guitar. Especially if these skinny, sweaty guys can really sing.

Knife, The – I kid you not, The Knife is so fucking awesome. It’s my current obssession and for starters you might want to listen to Heartbeats which is yet another creative way of singing about sex. We’re talking about an indie electro-pop and GOD-knows-what music. And by the way, did I mention that I am a music snob and that I didn’t just like them just because they were no. 1 at Pitchfork media but because I took the labor of actually listening through the whole goddamn album. Goes to show that Silent Shout is getting the attention it deserves.

Metric, The – You know I had to listen to The Metric after listening to BSS because not only does Emily Haines have rocking vocals in their BSS song Swimmers but as it turns out, their kind of music is almost exactly what I had in mind for effective songwriting. Although a lot of people might argue that structure is no fun but I’d like to say that structure is structure just so you can remember what you’re singing to easier. And what I can sing or would love to sing, I probably like.

Nelly Furtado – Surprised? I’m talking about her album Folklore of course, the second more modest release (definitely underestimated next to the first and the most recent third release). You’ll be surprised at how Nelly is capable of a sensinble kind of pop, although, I suppose this is a trait people overlook when you get to see how gorgeous she is on video while she’s grinding mindlessly. Point is, if she can manage to be some music schizo, then she may have a lot more racked up in her. Oh yeah, and kudos to her single, All good things come to an end, that showed up in her third album. Although I like the unreleased version more with Chris Martin whining in the background, just because, heh.

Sean Lennon - He looks so much like his dad! Come on people, is that all you ever see of Sean Lennon? The dude has worked up enough musical charisma to deserve his own platform without having to mention his parents The John and The Yoko. Friendly fire does have a touch of Lennon sensibility that we can also see in his father. This album is made up of what songwriting used to stand for before people got too cryptic or too simplistic. Good record.

Sufjan Stevens – I have a love-hate thing going on with this guy because when I check him out in YouTube he seems so gay. But Damn, I’m like hands down with Illinois. For me, it is definitely the best album of 2006, no questions asked.