Hipster Must-Read: Bright Lights, Big City

I've been dying to read this classic Jay McInerney novel for ages.  Having been a huge Bret Easton Ellis fan for years, I couldn't wait to read the novel of his 80s literary rival.  And when I finally broke down and got a copy, it took me all of two days to finish it.  And with a film remake version set to come out next year, there is no better time to do so.

With similar tones to Less Than Zero, McInerney's semi-autobiographical novel explores the seedy underbelly that was the 1980s New York yuppie scene.  My favourite.  I love reading about the different areas of New York and how they change now, and let's be honest, I love reading about discontent people in their mid-20s (something about it just strikes a chord with me, what can I say?)

I've added a couple more McInerney novels on my list, and also added the Michael J. Fox film version to my Netflix queue, although I'm sure to be disappointed.  But since McInerney never really repeated his super star status with any other books, I'm wondering if I'm going to end up disappointed?

Authors I Love: Chuck Klosterman

I am a bit late to board the Chuck Klosterman bandwagon.  By this time, he's written 6 books, and I've only read 2.  Granted, those 2 books probably took me 4 days to read, and that's exactly why I'm obsessing.  I cannot put his books down.

The first, and Klosterman's second, given to me by my former manager was, naturally, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, which if you've somehow managed to escape, is a collection of popular culture essays.  Klosterman stole my heart when he wrote about the 1980s Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry, which mirrors my current sports obsession, or when he wrote about my childhood favorite, Saved by the Bell.

The second, I finished in a day and a half.  Yesterday, I spent nearly all day on my couch reading Killing Yourself to Live, which is a narcissistic, obsessive account of rock music and relationships, told as Klosterman drives across the country.  A self-aware homage to High Fidelity, I found myself making a list of albums I needed to listen to in order to understand where Klosterman was coming from as he wrote.

I have four Klosterman books left to read, which will take me, oh a week.  I hope that those novels can make me a) nostalgic for my youth, b) jealous of his knowledge, c) craving new music, and d) wanting to be a better writer.  Let's be honest, I read Klosterman because I am Klosterman.  I may not be as talented of a writer, and I may not get to work at a really awesome magazine due to all my obscure knowledge, but truth be told, everything Klosterman thinks, is probably right along the same lines of what I think.

Uh oh, I've given myself away.  Hopefully there aren't too many Klosterman fans out there who now can see deep into my soul based on what they've read in his books...

Top 10 Favorite Books of 2009

I am not the New York Times Best-Seller list. I don’t rush out to buy the newest books, and I have never read a Twilight novel in my life. But I love literature and think my opinion is valid, so here is a top ten list of the books I have read in the past year:

10. Geek Love
Catharine Dunn’s novel about a family who’s members are nearly all in a carnival sideshow strikes a chord and common theme among books I like to read…it’s bizarre. It manages to be crazy, emotional, and sad all at the same time. I recommend it for anyone looking for something a little bit different from the New York Times Best Sellers.

9. Famous for 15 Minutes
Ultra Violet was an integral part of the Andy Warhol factory scene in the 60s. This memoir, albeit not well written, is fascinating to anyone interested in Warhol, Dali, and the sex, drugs, and rock and roll scene that was the New York 60s. Now out-of-print, it is relatively easy to find a used copy online.

8. Animal Farm
2009 was my year of catching up on classics. Unfortunately, most of those classics did not make my list, but George Orwell’s metaphorical novel has affected my core. Read in the course of two hours at a local coffee shop, I found myself deeply upset, and I don’t think I ate meat for weeks.

7. Drugs are Nice: A Post-Punk Memoir
Lisa Crystal Carver’s memoir of the 1980s and 1990s underground is missing the one thing you’d think it would have: drugs, at least from her. What it does have is lots of music references, the start of ‘zine culture, alleged Nazi’s and the story of one woman’s pain and strength to get through it.

6. Into the Wild
I found my copy of Into the Wild on the street and had I not, I probably never would have read it. Part of me envy’s Chris McCandless’ adventure, and the interviews with everyone he touched during his travels is inspiring. Later made into a movie starring the amazing Emile Hirsch, this story is wonderful and heartbreaking.

5. Middlesex
Jeffrey Eugenides ode to a hermaphrodite is his first, but not only appearance on my list. Spanning from Greek grandparents, to Grosse Pointe, Michigan, this novel is truly an amazing read.

4. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs
Chuck Klosterman’s best selling essay collection makes it pretty high on my list. It is perfect for anyone in their 20s, it deals with topics relevant to growing up in the late 80s and early 90s, and it made me want to rewatch My So-Called Life.

3. The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand’s objectivism is not a popular topic among most people, and while I wouldn’t consider myself an objectivist, I will say this. I want to be Dominique Francon. Her powerful female role is admirable and inspiring, if only one day I can be that much of a ball buster.

2. American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis tribute to New York and all it’s Patrick Bateman’s in the late 1980s. This was the last B.E.E. book for me to read, the most difficult, and my favorite. I had to speed through this one because I began thinking like Patrick Bateman and my inner monologues kept me up at night.

1. The Virgin Suicides
Jeffrey Eugenides first novel that was later adapted into a feature film by Sophia Coppola. Not only is it my favorite read of 2009, but it’s quite possibly my favorite read ever. Written with grace and eloquence, The Virgin Suicides hits a note that anyone who has ever faced adolescence can relate to.

Authors I Love: Charles Bukowski

So I'm probably not really qualified to write an entire blog on Bukowski. I honestly don't know that much about the fellow. My Bukowski experiences are limited to two. The first involves me being rather liquored up, on my friend Kile's mattress in his uber-bohemian place, while he read me Bukowski and we listened to Connor Oberst. The second, culminates as of yesterday with my completion of Ham on Rye .

It didn't take me long to finish Ham on Rye and I think that's what I liked about it. It may also have been that it was a rather easy break from pages and pages of Palahniuk that can get a bit complex at times. Bukowski is pretty straight forward, no sugar coating necessary, and at least in this instance, he takes on a rather masculine tone, which I seem to handle better then reading the Bronte sisters. Romantic, I am not.

I also loved the ability to read Bukowski on the train and not have to stop in the middle of a chapter when I reached my stop. In fact, I'm considering buying a Bukowski novel for a poet friend of mine for Christmas, who doesn't like to read because he claims that books cannot hold his attention span long enough for him to finish them. Either way, I think that I'll read Bukowski again in the future, though I may need a slight break from all that craziness.

Authors I Love: Bret Easton Ellis

I go through a lot of phases. I go through phases of intense exercises, phases of eating peanut butter obsessively, and phases of reading every book by one author. This summer that phase was Bret Easton Ellis. The author of Less Than Zero , The Rules of Attraction, and American Psycho , I couldn't put any of his books down. Sure, they're a bit bizarre, and somewhat graphic (okay, I'm sure American Psycho is super graphic, but I haven't read that one yet, it's happening soon, I promise). I just can't help but love everything about the ease of reading his working, and the attitude of the super privileged.

I'm sure many people have seen the movie versions of his books. I remember watching Rules of Attraction in the days of my youth, but I now have a much bigger appreciation for the film, even if it does star James Van Der Beek (excuse the capitalization and spelling, I don't care enough to look it up). However, if you've seen the 80's classic Less Than Zero starring Andrew McCarthy and a very young and delicious Robert Downey Jr., don't let that be a deciding factor of B.E.E., the movie is a horrible interpretation of the book (in my opinion). The good news is that B.E.E. is supposedly writing a sequel to this book due out in 2010.

I am not a literary critic or genius, but I know what I like, know that I love these books, and all I can do is pass them on. So seriously, go out there and pick one up, I suggest starting with Less Than Zero his first novel, still written when he was a college student on an meth binge. How could you not want to read something like that?