Good Reads
I highly recommend Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. It is an amazing story of love, family, trust and companionship in the high society of Japan. The author, Arthur Golden, has done incredible amounts of research to come up with the information on geishas in Japan. He tells this tale wonderfully and shakes the geisha's reputation of being high-class "prostitutes" in the most beautiful, lyrical fashion possible. He really transports you to the dog-eat-dog competitive world of a Japanese geisha. What else is amazing is that I've never seen a man put himself in the shoes of a woman so incredibly well....four stars (out of four).
Another absolutely fabulous book that I just recently read is Mystic River, a Boston mystery by Massachucetts author Dennis Lehane. Lehane has done it again, using gruesome, graphic imagery and heartfelt emotion to weave a story of compassion, hatred and long-standing criminal rivalry in the 'burbs of Boston. Set mainly in Buckingham, Chelsea and the surrounding area, the characters are mostly low- to mid-income families with various problems and hang-ups. Tragic and desperate at times, the multiple main characters are real humans to the reader. Though this book is entirely violent, bloody and gory, I still give it four stars and recommend it to anyone with a strong stomach and heart.
Here's another fantastic read: Plainsong by Kent Haruf. This is a novel about Smalltown, USA and the population of small-town folks who all have their twisted little secrets and their entirely awful private lives. Haruf intertwines the stories of a burnt-out high school History teacher, a pregnant teenager, two young brothers, two old brothers and a few various others to bring out a grand tale of love, the unusual, the unexpected and kindness. Some of it is quite bitter, but the points at which Haruf describes the almost inhuman kindness and gratitude nullify the evils which are included. Three-and-a-half stars for this one.
Vicious Tunes
My Friends
and I- Patio Kings: 3.75 stars
Mer De Noms- A Perfect Circle: 4 stars
XO- Elliott Smith: 4 stars
Dilate- Ani DiFranco: 3.75 stars
4-Track Demos- PJ Harvey: 3/75 stars
Whip-Smart- Liz Phair: 3.5 stars
Grace- Jeff Buckley: 4 stars
The Lonesome Crowded West- Modest Mouse: 4 stars
Lateralus- Tool: 4 stars
Not A Pretty Girl- Ani DiFranco: 4 stars
Either/Or- Elliott Smith: 4 stars
Elliott Smith- Elliott Smith: 3/5 stars
Mystery White Boy- Jeff Buckley: A universe of stars
Is This Desire?- PJ Harvey: 3.75 stars
69 Love Songs- The Magnetic Fields: 3.5 stars
To Bring You My Love- PJ Harvey: 4 stars
The World Won't End...- Pernice brothers: 4 stars
Isolation Drills- Guided by Voices: 4 million stars
More to come later....
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