And so we have to chop the field down to 14 by the end of the night....but first, let's have some duets with former contestants. We had David Cook, Chris Daughtry and Jordin Sparks all show up, which was cool. Not as cool is that it's Monday night when I am first watching these videos, but...oh well.
Jenn Blosil sang with Constantine Maroulis, they sang Frank Sinatra's "My Funny Valentine". It was extremely dull.
His other duet was with Shelbie Z on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," which was fine.
Lee Jean was paired up with Chris Daughtry, which was awesome enough by itself. And then they do "Home," which is even better. This was fantastic - the only way it could be better is if it was a studio version.
Manny Torres was teamed with Jordin Sparks singing her song "No Air," and he looked a bit intimidated.
Amelia Eisenhauer and Kellie Pickler teamed up, and I bet they had a blast rehearsing. They did Sara Evans' "Suds in the Bucket," which is awesome, Amelia played her fiddle, and it was just terrific. Keith was singing along the whole way through. "I loved that and thought it was absolutely terrific!" - Harry.
Kory Wheeler and Haley Reinhart did Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets," one of her big songs from the show(one that I almost liked from her), but she's still annoying. He wasn't much better. The trouble is, I think, that he looks like Taran Kilian from Saturday Night Live, so I always expect sketch comedy. Anyway, it was fine for a duet, but really bland as a performance.
CJ Johnson was paired up with David Cook, so he got a boost in Wesley Points for that right there. They did a song called "The World I Know" by Collective Soul, and David forgot a pick during rehearsal. CJ just completely lacks star potential and emotion in his voice. David wins this duet by an embarrassingly large margin.
Tristan McIntosh was also paired with Kellie Pickler, I guess they figured, "Hey, Amelia and Tristan are friends, they already knew each other, go to the same high school, let's give them the same mentor from their backyard, pretty much." During rehearsal, Kellie said, "My husband never cries, all right? And your audition made him cry." They did Kellie's song "Best Days of Your Life," and it was pretty good.
Haley's other song was with Adam Lasher, they did Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love," she was way better than he was. It's just a really lame song choice. I was laughing at how cheesy it was.
Jordin's other song was with Trent Harmon, and he said she was giving him advice like a mom, haha. They did "To Love Somebody" by the Bee Gees. It was pretty good.
Chris's other song was with Dalton Rapattoni, they did Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," and the band totally overpowered both of them, unfortunately. They both had fun out there, though. It earns extra points for energy.
The other person David was paired up with was Olivia Rox; they did his song "Light On". "The song covers a pretty large range from lowest note to highest note....I'm glad I'm doing a song with a lady, 'cause Olivia seems like she can do that," he said during an interview at rehearsal. I love both of their voices, because they can put so much emotion into lyrics, but except for a long high note where they meshed perfectly, there was this weird disconnect between them which shouldn't have been there. Thankfully the judges loved it.
I'd say the winners tonight were Lee, Amelia and Trent, with Olivia, Tristan and Dalton following.
Cut were Amelia(RATS), Kory, Adam, Shelbie(Yay!) and CJ. Except for Amelia, the judges got it right this week.
And out Top 14 is now Avalon, Dalton, Gianna, Jeneve, Jenn(Ugh), La'Porsha(Ugh), Lee, MacKenzie, Manny, Olivia, Sonika, Thomas, Trent and Tristan. Going live next week, and Kelly Clarkson will return to the show.
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Monday, February 22, 2016
AI 15.13 - Top 24, Part Two
The second half of the final Top 24 ever on American Idol. It was a busy week/weekend full of homework, so though this was shown Wednesday, I only got to the videos on Monday night.
Shelbie Z - "Work Hard, Play Harder," by Gretchen Wilson - I've mentioned before that I really do not like her, yes? Nor do I like this song. And this was an extremely boring performance of it. "For me, you sacrificed the whole song just so you could have that big note at the end." - Keith.
Jenn Blosil - "Sorry," by Justin Bieber - In the first place, she's annoying. In the second place, there is something astonishingly creepy and terrifying about her. In the third place, this is a Justin Bieber song. Also, she was mumbling all the time. And then there was some weird yowling. "It was extremely out of tune." - Harry.
Kory Wheeler - "Let It Go," by James Bay - He looked petrified to be onstage, and weirdly out of place at the piano. And the song didn't really seem to be about anything. "It wasn't great. And the reason it wasn't great was because it wasn't special." - Harry.
Manny Torres - "Adventure of a Lifetime," by Coldplay - Uh....well, he had fun. I was distracted the whole time by the weird shirt he was wearing. And there was a neat continuous guitar riff in the background. "I don't think that was a good song for your vocal strengths, but it suited your spirit really, really well." - KU. Also, apparently he was a preacher's kid.
Lee Jean - "Runaway," by Ed Sheeran - He can do origami. That's cool. This was boring for a Lee performance, but the best of the night thus far. Eventually he's gonna run out of Ed Sheeran tunes, though. "Man, I don't know what it is about these song choices tonight..." Keith shakes his head. (And gets loudly booed by the crowd.) "He's right. Everybody's just not picking those big hits that everybody knows and wants to sing along to....and that's what you gotta do, you know, to get the audiences on your side. ...'Cause next week America starts voting." - Jennifer. Harry gave instructions on playing guitar more smoothly. "You're a talented guy, and fortunately, it was one of the better performances of the night."
CJ Johnson - "I'll Be," by Edwin McCain - Best song choice of the night, but he looked kind of constipated singing it. And it's one of those comforting songs that makes you sleepy. Felt like karaoke. At this point of the competition, that won't cut it.
Tristan McIntosh - "Good Girl," by Carrie Underwood - FINALLY! An upbeat song we know, sung fairly well! She started too low for her vocal range, and it pretty much stayed there the whole time...also, she can sing the alphabet backwards. Bonus points for wearing a jean jacket, but this was NOT one of her better performances. "I really like that song. I didn't like it for you, but you're gonna kill it when you find the right song." - KU. (I agree.)
Trent Harmon - "What Are You Listening To?", by Chris Stapleton - ...I'm sorry. That was just awful. And he said he stole his hat from some girl?
Adam Lasher - "Black and Gold," by Sam Sparro - Thoroughly forgettable, though it was upbeat, which was a rare feat indeed tonight. But it was bizarre, as were his shiny gold high-top boots. "I felt like you were a buoy on the ocean; just kind of wishy-washy. And it's hard for me to get past that." - Harry. "I couldn't get into the melody of it or anything." - Jennifer.
Dalton Rapattoni - "Rebel Yell," by Billy Idol - This was sung with great intensity. Keith and Jennifer were singing along; JayLo squealed. "I thought it was absolutely tremendous." - Harry.
Olivia Rox - "Confident," by Demi Lovato - She rocked it. "Annnd the show starts now...." Keith laughed.
Amelia Eisenhauer - "Wake Me Up," by Avicii - That was awesome. "I think you need to find stuff that's a little bit quirkier. Because you're a little bit quirky." - Harry. She laughed, "I can see that."
Olivia, Amelia and Dalton won the night, in that order, and Tristan and Lee didn't do great, they were the next-best. Everyone else was just atrocious.
Shelbie Z - "Work Hard, Play Harder," by Gretchen Wilson - I've mentioned before that I really do not like her, yes? Nor do I like this song. And this was an extremely boring performance of it. "For me, you sacrificed the whole song just so you could have that big note at the end." - Keith.
Jenn Blosil - "Sorry," by Justin Bieber - In the first place, she's annoying. In the second place, there is something astonishingly creepy and terrifying about her. In the third place, this is a Justin Bieber song. Also, she was mumbling all the time. And then there was some weird yowling. "It was extremely out of tune." - Harry.
Kory Wheeler - "Let It Go," by James Bay - He looked petrified to be onstage, and weirdly out of place at the piano. And the song didn't really seem to be about anything. "It wasn't great. And the reason it wasn't great was because it wasn't special." - Harry.
Manny Torres - "Adventure of a Lifetime," by Coldplay - Uh....well, he had fun. I was distracted the whole time by the weird shirt he was wearing. And there was a neat continuous guitar riff in the background. "I don't think that was a good song for your vocal strengths, but it suited your spirit really, really well." - KU. Also, apparently he was a preacher's kid.
Lee Jean - "Runaway," by Ed Sheeran - He can do origami. That's cool. This was boring for a Lee performance, but the best of the night thus far. Eventually he's gonna run out of Ed Sheeran tunes, though. "Man, I don't know what it is about these song choices tonight..." Keith shakes his head. (And gets loudly booed by the crowd.) "He's right. Everybody's just not picking those big hits that everybody knows and wants to sing along to....and that's what you gotta do, you know, to get the audiences on your side. ...'Cause next week America starts voting." - Jennifer. Harry gave instructions on playing guitar more smoothly. "You're a talented guy, and fortunately, it was one of the better performances of the night."
CJ Johnson - "I'll Be," by Edwin McCain - Best song choice of the night, but he looked kind of constipated singing it. And it's one of those comforting songs that makes you sleepy. Felt like karaoke. At this point of the competition, that won't cut it.
Tristan McIntosh - "Good Girl," by Carrie Underwood - FINALLY! An upbeat song we know, sung fairly well! She started too low for her vocal range, and it pretty much stayed there the whole time...also, she can sing the alphabet backwards. Bonus points for wearing a jean jacket, but this was NOT one of her better performances. "I really like that song. I didn't like it for you, but you're gonna kill it when you find the right song." - KU. (I agree.)
Trent Harmon - "What Are You Listening To?", by Chris Stapleton - ...I'm sorry. That was just awful. And he said he stole his hat from some girl?
Adam Lasher - "Black and Gold," by Sam Sparro - Thoroughly forgettable, though it was upbeat, which was a rare feat indeed tonight. But it was bizarre, as were his shiny gold high-top boots. "I felt like you were a buoy on the ocean; just kind of wishy-washy. And it's hard for me to get past that." - Harry. "I couldn't get into the melody of it or anything." - Jennifer.
Dalton Rapattoni - "Rebel Yell," by Billy Idol - This was sung with great intensity. Keith and Jennifer were singing along; JayLo squealed. "I thought it was absolutely tremendous." - Harry.
Olivia Rox - "Confident," by Demi Lovato - She rocked it. "Annnd the show starts now...." Keith laughed.
Amelia Eisenhauer - "Wake Me Up," by Avicii - That was awesome. "I think you need to find stuff that's a little bit quirkier. Because you're a little bit quirky." - Harry. She laughed, "I can see that."
Olivia, Amelia and Dalton won the night, in that order, and Tristan and Lee didn't do great, they were the next-best. Everyone else was just atrocious.
Friday, February 12, 2016
AI 15.12 Top 24, Part One - Cutting the Field
WE HAD SCOTTY MCCREERY RETURN TO IDOL! Yes, that totally deserved all-caps. There was also a lot of other duets, none of which were as cool as Scotty's. And five of the contestants were sent home by the judges.
James VIII teamed up with a guy named Caleb Johnson, who is a rocker dude who won Season 13(which I did not watch.) Their song was "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones, which was just a lot of shouting. Caleb Johnson was the better part of this duet.
Jordan Sasser was paired with Fantasia(winner of Season 3), they did her song "I Believe", and this was A MESS. He kept crossing over into her space when he was singing, and it was just awful wailing like dogs howling at a police siren. Jennifer looked like she wanted to cry. "Be careful about upstaging the person you're on stage with," - Harry. "Yeah, when you sing a duet, do it together," Jennifer added.
MacKenzie Bourg had to sing with Season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina, unfortunately. (I STILL REALLY HATE HER. I'll think of a reason later.) Anyway, they sang Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance", and it was appallingly bad. Like, I texted Mom saying I didn't realize you even could mess up that song.... I linked to the music video so that y'all can wash the nasty taste out of your ears. Anyway, Lauren....was herself. It made him extremely uncomfortable. And he wasn't used to singing coutnry, so he repeatedly messed up lyrics. "That might be the first time I've ever seen Lauren blush," Keith commented. "That girl likes you....I mean, I'm just sayin'..." "In case he didn't notice?" Jennifer laughs. "Sparks were flyin'!"
Emily Brooke also sang with Lauren earlier in the night sometime, they did Carrie's "Flat On the Floor", which is one of my least-favorite Carrie songs, and it was certainly one of Lauren's worst performances(of which there were many). I'm really glad I missed seeing this one on TV.
Gianna Isabella sang with Nick Fradiani, winner of Season 14(which I didn't watch). They did a song of his called "Beautiful Life", I don't think I would have voted for him. She looked like she was singing something from High School Musical.
Stephany Negrete was paired with Ruben Studdard, winner of Season 2. They sang something called "Superstar" by a group called The Carpenters, and it was so exceptionally dull that I was reading an ESPN article the whole song. (Failed the Louise Test.)
Avalon Young was also paired with Ruben, they sang his song "Flying Without Wings", which was apparently his winning song. It was fine for a duet, but not great, and a little awkward, like most of them tend to be.
Thomas Stringfellow was the other person Nick Fradiani sang with, they did Michael Jackon's "Man In the Mirror." There have certainly been better Idol versions of this song. Besides, "This is awful!", the first things I noticed were that Nick Fradiani was wearing leather pants, Thomas was wearing suspenders, and you could clearly see all the hair on the back of Thomas's neck, which was yet another strange thing.
La"Porsha Renae was Fantasia's other contestant, they did "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald. I didn't like it much.
Sonika Vaid also sang with Caleb Johnson, they did the Adele theme to Skyfall, the newest James Bond movie that came out a couple months ago. (I don't understand all the fuss about Adele.) It was weirdly theatrical, but she does have a nice voice.
We're finally to Scotty's duets! (He was the winner of Season 10, quick history lesson.) He sang first with Jenna Renae, they did his song "See You Tonight"(link because it's such a cool video.) This was terrific in my opinion; Keith had the goofiest grin on his face the whole time.
Scotty's other duet was with Jeneve Rose Mitchell, and they did Montgomery Gentry's "Gone", which was one of his top performances(out of many). Click here. Anyway, Jeneve is crazy, so it was a little bizarre, but it was kind of enjoyable. It was also a bit of a train wreck. Keith couldn't even find words to describe it. After sputtering for several moments, he just said, "Look, I like you. I'm just gonna forget that performance ever happened."
So those safe were La'Porsha(Rats, but I knew it), Avalon(which I was happy about), Sonika(still not sure), MacKenzie(okay), Thomas(SMH), Gianna(Meh) and Jeneve(Yay, I think?).
Getting cut were James VIII(YAY!!!!), Jordan(YAYY!!!), Jenna(Rats; but I knew it), Stephany(Why was she even here?) and Emily(Too many teens with more talent).
Next week we see Dalton, Tristan, Olivia, Amelia, Lee and Trent; and then during duets on Thursday night Chris Daughtry AND David Cook are back!
Other notes: Keith and Scotty both had awesome leather jackets, and Harry has an excellent poker face.
James VIII teamed up with a guy named Caleb Johnson, who is a rocker dude who won Season 13(which I did not watch.) Their song was "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones, which was just a lot of shouting. Caleb Johnson was the better part of this duet.
Jordan Sasser was paired with Fantasia(winner of Season 3), they did her song "I Believe", and this was A MESS. He kept crossing over into her space when he was singing, and it was just awful wailing like dogs howling at a police siren. Jennifer looked like she wanted to cry. "Be careful about upstaging the person you're on stage with," - Harry. "Yeah, when you sing a duet, do it together," Jennifer added.
MacKenzie Bourg had to sing with Season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina, unfortunately. (I STILL REALLY HATE HER. I'll think of a reason later.) Anyway, they sang Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance", and it was appallingly bad. Like, I texted Mom saying I didn't realize you even could mess up that song.... I linked to the music video so that y'all can wash the nasty taste out of your ears. Anyway, Lauren....was herself. It made him extremely uncomfortable. And he wasn't used to singing coutnry, so he repeatedly messed up lyrics. "That might be the first time I've ever seen Lauren blush," Keith commented. "That girl likes you....I mean, I'm just sayin'..." "In case he didn't notice?" Jennifer laughs. "Sparks were flyin'!"
Emily Brooke also sang with Lauren earlier in the night sometime, they did Carrie's "Flat On the Floor", which is one of my least-favorite Carrie songs, and it was certainly one of Lauren's worst performances(of which there were many). I'm really glad I missed seeing this one on TV.
Gianna Isabella sang with Nick Fradiani, winner of Season 14(which I didn't watch). They did a song of his called "Beautiful Life", I don't think I would have voted for him. She looked like she was singing something from High School Musical.
Stephany Negrete was paired with Ruben Studdard, winner of Season 2. They sang something called "Superstar" by a group called The Carpenters, and it was so exceptionally dull that I was reading an ESPN article the whole song. (Failed the Louise Test.)
Avalon Young was also paired with Ruben, they sang his song "Flying Without Wings", which was apparently his winning song. It was fine for a duet, but not great, and a little awkward, like most of them tend to be.
Thomas Stringfellow was the other person Nick Fradiani sang with, they did Michael Jackon's "Man In the Mirror." There have certainly been better Idol versions of this song. Besides, "This is awful!", the first things I noticed were that Nick Fradiani was wearing leather pants, Thomas was wearing suspenders, and you could clearly see all the hair on the back of Thomas's neck, which was yet another strange thing.
La"Porsha Renae was Fantasia's other contestant, they did "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald. I didn't like it much.
Sonika Vaid also sang with Caleb Johnson, they did the Adele theme to Skyfall, the newest James Bond movie that came out a couple months ago. (I don't understand all the fuss about Adele.) It was weirdly theatrical, but she does have a nice voice.
We're finally to Scotty's duets! (He was the winner of Season 10, quick history lesson.) He sang first with Jenna Renae, they did his song "See You Tonight"(link because it's such a cool video.) This was terrific in my opinion; Keith had the goofiest grin on his face the whole time.
Scotty's other duet was with Jeneve Rose Mitchell, and they did Montgomery Gentry's "Gone", which was one of his top performances(out of many). Click here. Anyway, Jeneve is crazy, so it was a little bizarre, but it was kind of enjoyable. It was also a bit of a train wreck. Keith couldn't even find words to describe it. After sputtering for several moments, he just said, "Look, I like you. I'm just gonna forget that performance ever happened."
So those safe were La'Porsha(Rats, but I knew it), Avalon(which I was happy about), Sonika(still not sure), MacKenzie(okay), Thomas(SMH), Gianna(Meh) and Jeneve(Yay, I think?).
Getting cut were James VIII(YAY!!!!), Jordan(YAYY!!!), Jenna(Rats; but I knew it), Stephany(Why was she even here?) and Emily(Too many teens with more talent).
Next week we see Dalton, Tristan, Olivia, Amelia, Lee and Trent; and then during duets on Thursday night Chris Daughtry AND David Cook are back!
Other notes: Keith and Scotty both had awesome leather jackets, and Harry has an excellent poker face.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
AI 15.11 - Top 24, Part One
I missed last night's episode, so I had to piece it together from YouTube clips. But hey, that's better than nothing.
La'Porsha Renae - "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner - Not a fan. I fell asleep during the opening, and then I hate this song, anyway. But even on Idol, there's been better performances.
Jeneve Rose Mitchell - "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan - She can apparently play fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass, harp, flute, French horn, cello, banjo, ukelele, piano, trumpet and kazoo. (Can you top that, Keith?) She played the harp, which was odd, and it was an extremely subdued performance. It wasn't bad; just really hard to know how to critique it. Maybe a bit dull. "You're extraordinary. You really are. And I love the way you take risks." - KU. Jennifer got "goosies," which is a good thing.
Stephany Negrete - "Mamma Knows Best" by Jessie J - So....did she decide, "Hey, I can't sing that well and I won't get the pretty vote, so I'll just dance around onstage in leather pants and hope that's good enough?" Cause....it wasn't.
Sonika Vaid - "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift and the Civil Wars - Huh. She collects sheet music, but she plays piano by ear. (Also, how great of a name is "Sonika" for a singer?) I think this song was written for one of the Hunger Games movies? That's a really ugly dress. This song was pretty good, but in a Disney-cover type way. My opinion after comparing this to Taylor's original is that Taylor wins hands-down.
Avalon Young - "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber - A Bieber song? Really? It actually wasn't that bad. Avalon just seems like she'd be cool to hang out with; and then she can sing, too. That was a really cool hoodie she was wearing.
Jenna Renae - "My Church" by Maren Morris - She'd barely even started when Keith whoops and hollers, "I love this song!" It was almost all right, there was just something a little off about this performance...and the Carmen Sandiego fedora didn't help. And the all-black made her look a bit witchy. She looked like she had fun, though.
MacKenzie Bourg - "Say Something" by A Great Big World - That is a tiny guitar. And he just looks weird - like Kris Allen mixed with Peter Parker. But his voice is really good, in an unusually quiet way.
Thomas Stringfellow - "Creep" by Radiohead - Weird title for a song. He is extremely fluent in Pig Latin. None of this performance seemed to fit together, from the all-the-way-buttoned-up flannel shirt to the floppy farmer hat to the strangely-finished guitar to the extremely jerky strumming motion. I couldn't understand hardly any of the lyrics because of the wailing falsetto. I just didn't get it. The audience and the judges loved it.
Gianna Isabella - "I Put a Spell On You" by Annie Lennox - She really loves reading. "Now I'm really into horror books. I love the goriness of it all...but I'm not a serial killer, I promise." I haven't quite figured her out yet. Sometimes she seems like a goofy teenager, other times more like Haley Reinhart.
Emily Brooke - "I Am Invincible" by Cassdee Pope - Her guitar has autographs from Taylor Swift, Leann Rimes, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, the Eli Young Band, Steve Wariner and many, many more. If it was me, I would never play that guitar ever. It would just be an amazing decoration. Anyway, it's really weird, but I supposed fitting in a full-circle way, when Idol contestants do songs from The Voice's singers who have done well. Anyway, she looked petrified and it felt like a high school talent show. It was all over the place, which was ironic given the lyrics she was supposed to be singing. And while the dancing wasn't Megan Joy Corkrey-level awful, it wasn't good, either.
James VIII - "Love Lockdown" by Kanye West - Okay, that was cool. He got his guitar(which is awesome-looking) by earning his Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts. This was my favorite performance from him, but he's still really creepy. The judges were bored.
Jordan Sasser - "All By Myself" by Celine Dion - Good news: He got a haircut finally. Bad news: He's still intolerable. This was just....weird. "I felt it was a bit too theatrical for me, and I missed the heart." - KU. "That first 'all by myself' should have broken our hearts. Instead I was wondering about the key you picked to sing it in....I shouldn't have been thinking about that." - Jennifer. "You have a great voice, but that was real showoffy for me. Just sing the song!" - Harry.
Keith's jacket was awesome, and it looked like Jennifer was going with an Attack of the Clones Padme Amidala look, maybe. I guess I liked Avalon and MacKenzie the best of the night.
La'Porsha Renae - "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner - Not a fan. I fell asleep during the opening, and then I hate this song, anyway. But even on Idol, there's been better performances.
Jeneve Rose Mitchell - "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan - She can apparently play fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass, harp, flute, French horn, cello, banjo, ukelele, piano, trumpet and kazoo. (Can you top that, Keith?) She played the harp, which was odd, and it was an extremely subdued performance. It wasn't bad; just really hard to know how to critique it. Maybe a bit dull. "You're extraordinary. You really are. And I love the way you take risks." - KU. Jennifer got "goosies," which is a good thing.
Stephany Negrete - "Mamma Knows Best" by Jessie J - So....did she decide, "Hey, I can't sing that well and I won't get the pretty vote, so I'll just dance around onstage in leather pants and hope that's good enough?" Cause....it wasn't.
Sonika Vaid - "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift and the Civil Wars - Huh. She collects sheet music, but she plays piano by ear. (Also, how great of a name is "Sonika" for a singer?) I think this song was written for one of the Hunger Games movies? That's a really ugly dress. This song was pretty good, but in a Disney-cover type way. My opinion after comparing this to Taylor's original is that Taylor wins hands-down.
Avalon Young - "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber - A Bieber song? Really? It actually wasn't that bad. Avalon just seems like she'd be cool to hang out with; and then she can sing, too. That was a really cool hoodie she was wearing.
Jenna Renae - "My Church" by Maren Morris - She'd barely even started when Keith whoops and hollers, "I love this song!" It was almost all right, there was just something a little off about this performance...and the Carmen Sandiego fedora didn't help. And the all-black made her look a bit witchy. She looked like she had fun, though.
MacKenzie Bourg - "Say Something" by A Great Big World - That is a tiny guitar. And he just looks weird - like Kris Allen mixed with Peter Parker. But his voice is really good, in an unusually quiet way.
Thomas Stringfellow - "Creep" by Radiohead - Weird title for a song. He is extremely fluent in Pig Latin. None of this performance seemed to fit together, from the all-the-way-buttoned-up flannel shirt to the floppy farmer hat to the strangely-finished guitar to the extremely jerky strumming motion. I couldn't understand hardly any of the lyrics because of the wailing falsetto. I just didn't get it. The audience and the judges loved it.
Gianna Isabella - "I Put a Spell On You" by Annie Lennox - She really loves reading. "Now I'm really into horror books. I love the goriness of it all...but I'm not a serial killer, I promise." I haven't quite figured her out yet. Sometimes she seems like a goofy teenager, other times more like Haley Reinhart.
Emily Brooke - "I Am Invincible" by Cassdee Pope - Her guitar has autographs from Taylor Swift, Leann Rimes, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, the Eli Young Band, Steve Wariner and many, many more. If it was me, I would never play that guitar ever. It would just be an amazing decoration. Anyway, it's really weird, but I supposed fitting in a full-circle way, when Idol contestants do songs from The Voice's singers who have done well. Anyway, she looked petrified and it felt like a high school talent show. It was all over the place, which was ironic given the lyrics she was supposed to be singing. And while the dancing wasn't Megan Joy Corkrey-level awful, it wasn't good, either.
James VIII - "Love Lockdown" by Kanye West - Okay, that was cool. He got his guitar(which is awesome-looking) by earning his Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts. This was my favorite performance from him, but he's still really creepy. The judges were bored.
Jordan Sasser - "All By Myself" by Celine Dion - Good news: He got a haircut finally. Bad news: He's still intolerable. This was just....weird. "I felt it was a bit too theatrical for me, and I missed the heart." - KU. "That first 'all by myself' should have broken our hearts. Instead I was wondering about the key you picked to sing it in....I shouldn't have been thinking about that." - Jennifer. "You have a great voice, but that was real showoffy for me. Just sing the song!" - Harry.
Keith's jacket was awesome, and it looked like Jennifer was going with an Attack of the Clones Padme Amidala look, maybe. I guess I liked Avalon and MacKenzie the best of the night.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
AI 15.8 - Hollywood: Group Round
This is where things get hectic. Ladies and gentlemen: the infamous Group Night!
Some people made it through more than others. (The judges, particularly Harry, had a rough day.)
"They gotta figure out which song they're gonna sing, they got to figure out the choreography they're gonna use, and they gotta figure out how to not kill each other tonight," Keith observed.
We started the day with 108 contestants. The casualties began even before the performances; as Po Scott dropped out of the competition completely; leaving Dalton Rappatoni and Kassy Levels scrambling to find a third member for their group(Chicken Noodle Soup) to be legal. (They had to be either three or four members.)
Malie "Miss Alaska DJ" Delgado, Manny Torres and Christian Eason were left as a threesome after La'Porscha dropped out; they had to pull together a new song and everything, so they changed their group's name to Rebirth while they were at it.
Team Blue Eyes was made up of Jordan Sasser, Kory Wheeler, Jenna Renae and some girl named Kelsie Watts, who had Allison Iraheta-red-dyed hair. They sang a Bruno Mars song called "Treasure", and they were all safe.
Milk and Cookies, composed of Jenn Blosil and Sara Sturm, together with a black girl named Bri Ray and a tall blonde named Lynzee Fraye, rehearsed in the bathroom for lack of anywhere else with enough space to practice. Besides Sara, I hated everyone, but they were all through...
There was an entertaining montage about what a chocoholic JayLo apparently is, after she tries to steal some of Keith's food like Nicki used to. "Ya know, she looks thin, but she eats about six and a half pounds of chocolate a day," Harry quips. "No, it's more like eight pounds," Keith answers, grinning. She protests. "Would you like some sushi instead? I'm having some delivered..." (Smart guy, eating snacks like sushi and trail mix to keep Jennifer and Nicki from eating all his food.)
The next group was Ooh X2, made up of Tristan McIntosh, Amelia "Mystery Samurai Fiddler" Eisenhauer, Lee Jean and some blonde girl whose name started with H. "That sounded like you all were an actual vocal group!" Keith praised them. They were all through, which was awesome. Jeneve Rose Mitchell was also safe, from a different group.
Next up was Just Trent, the Group Round's first-ever group of one. (Mono is apparently contagious, and the producers wanted to keep the other contestants as healthy as possible.) He got through.
The next group was called Singing Out Loud, made up of Michelle Marie, Lindsey Carrier, Ashley Lusk and Shelbie Z. Their song was Carrie's "Undo It", and it was awful. I would have been just fine with everyone in this group packing their bags, but only Lindsey was booted out, which was even worse because she was the team's leader.
Elvie Shane, John Wayne Schulz and Jessica Cabral were a group, and they were visibly exhausted. "You're genuinely exhausted by this point, but you still gotta perform. Welcome to your career! It's gonna be like this all the time. The only thing is, you gotta hide that tiredness from me." Keith critiques helpfully. Elvie was cut.
Also cut was Ashley Adams-Soderbergh the weird Hawaiian misfit, and Cameron Richard. Mackenzie Bourg was safe.
It wouldn't be Group Night without some Drama, right? That came in the form of the rivalry which quickly developed between Envy(Sonika Vaid, Stephany Negrete and Andrew Nazaberkian the Tall Russian) and Chicken Noodle Soup(Dalton, Kassy and a girl named Anatalia Villaranda). Anatalia was an alto stuck with the three sopranos of Envy, and they literally abandoned her in the hallway. Since Chicken Noodle Soup needed a third member, she was drafted, and there was plenty of fireworks the next day between the two groups. All members of both groups advanced, and Sonika crossed the line into "I can't vote for her" territory. Dalton still gets cool points.
His former rival Jackie Butler(with the green hair) and obese Brian Dale Brown were both cut, as was Josiah Siska(rats!).
Trick or Treat Try was another one of those groups who practiced in the bathroom; their roster was Kayce Haynes and three guys we'd never heard of named Marcio Donaldson, Jon Klaasen and Kylle Thompson. Their song was "Uptown Funk" and they were all safe. (I would've booted them all out...bow ties are stupid.)
"If you could have any talent in the world other than singing, what would it be?" Harry asked Jennifer. She thinks a minute. "Painting." "Really? Have you tried it?" "Yup. I'm awful at it." "Well, what'd you try? Oils? Watercolors?" "Crayons, everything!"
The roster of LOUD Joy Dove, Daniel Farmer and Lindita the Personal Trainer made up the group known as Smooth Soul, doing Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," of all things...Daniel was cut.
Las Orinquas was Gianna Isabella, some girl named Dana Ordway and a bossy girl named Eliz Camacho. Eliz was eliminated after Harry said "There were two 24-year-olds in this group. And you were outsang by the 15-year-old." (Gianna does a happy dance here.)
The Good Vibes were four "Who?" contestants; a redheaded guy named Joe Kahlman, another dude named Anesai Talai, a girl named Olivia Thai and a nerdy girl named Jessica Paige, who was the only one to advance. "Guys, you look like your dog just died," Harry was really at his wit's end by this point.
CJ Johnson the Memphis musician, another guy named Zach Joseph, a blonde ponytailed girl named Jess Kellner and another blonde girl with a headband named Jessica Baker were another group, and Zach was the odd one out here.
Thomas Stringfellow was part of a group with Bryson Dunn, Thomas Hendricks and some guy with the last name Muglia; the Thomases were the lucky ones. "You guys are all absolutely great solo artists....but that was really average." Harry complains.
Then it was Rebirth's(Malie, Manny and Christian) turn....they did "Stayin' Alive," and it was pretty good. "Best group of the day, don't ya think?" JayLo asks the guys.
The Three Sistas were La'Porscha and two girls named Marlena Johnson and Tonie Starr, Shelbie Z was originally part of this group before defecting to Singing Out Loud. So she was replaced by La'Porscha, who came in from Rebirth, and they also did "Stayin' Alive" as one of the last acts of the day. Everyone forgot the lyrics. Aggravatingly, they were all safe. "That's how you forget the words!" Harry laughed, applauding. "That was like watching Dreamgirls or somethin'," Jennifer said.
The Soulcats were the last group of the day, composed of Jonathan Arthur Greene and three people we'd never seen before: Lauren Wright(not the friend of the Hankinses who went to church camp), Marshall Cunningham and some guy named Dylan. Lauren and Marshall were safe, the other two weren't.
Some people made it through more than others. (The judges, particularly Harry, had a rough day.)
"They gotta figure out which song they're gonna sing, they got to figure out the choreography they're gonna use, and they gotta figure out how to not kill each other tonight," Keith observed.
 |
| This is just a stock-type picture I took of my guitar a long time ago. I got tired of using the same AI logo all the time with these posts. |
Malie "Miss Alaska DJ" Delgado, Manny Torres and Christian Eason were left as a threesome after La'Porscha dropped out; they had to pull together a new song and everything, so they changed their group's name to Rebirth while they were at it.
Team Blue Eyes was made up of Jordan Sasser, Kory Wheeler, Jenna Renae and some girl named Kelsie Watts, who had Allison Iraheta-red-dyed hair. They sang a Bruno Mars song called "Treasure", and they were all safe.
Milk and Cookies, composed of Jenn Blosil and Sara Sturm, together with a black girl named Bri Ray and a tall blonde named Lynzee Fraye, rehearsed in the bathroom for lack of anywhere else with enough space to practice. Besides Sara, I hated everyone, but they were all through...
There was an entertaining montage about what a chocoholic JayLo apparently is, after she tries to steal some of Keith's food like Nicki used to. "Ya know, she looks thin, but she eats about six and a half pounds of chocolate a day," Harry quips. "No, it's more like eight pounds," Keith answers, grinning. She protests. "Would you like some sushi instead? I'm having some delivered..." (Smart guy, eating snacks like sushi and trail mix to keep Jennifer and Nicki from eating all his food.)
The next group was Ooh X2, made up of Tristan McIntosh, Amelia "Mystery Samurai Fiddler" Eisenhauer, Lee Jean and some blonde girl whose name started with H. "That sounded like you all were an actual vocal group!" Keith praised them. They were all through, which was awesome. Jeneve Rose Mitchell was also safe, from a different group.
Next up was Just Trent, the Group Round's first-ever group of one. (Mono is apparently contagious, and the producers wanted to keep the other contestants as healthy as possible.) He got through.
The next group was called Singing Out Loud, made up of Michelle Marie, Lindsey Carrier, Ashley Lusk and Shelbie Z. Their song was Carrie's "Undo It", and it was awful. I would have been just fine with everyone in this group packing their bags, but only Lindsey was booted out, which was even worse because she was the team's leader.
Elvie Shane, John Wayne Schulz and Jessica Cabral were a group, and they were visibly exhausted. "You're genuinely exhausted by this point, but you still gotta perform. Welcome to your career! It's gonna be like this all the time. The only thing is, you gotta hide that tiredness from me." Keith critiques helpfully. Elvie was cut.
Also cut was Ashley Adams-Soderbergh the weird Hawaiian misfit, and Cameron Richard. Mackenzie Bourg was safe.
It wouldn't be Group Night without some Drama, right? That came in the form of the rivalry which quickly developed between Envy(Sonika Vaid, Stephany Negrete and Andrew Nazaberkian the Tall Russian) and Chicken Noodle Soup(Dalton, Kassy and a girl named Anatalia Villaranda). Anatalia was an alto stuck with the three sopranos of Envy, and they literally abandoned her in the hallway. Since Chicken Noodle Soup needed a third member, she was drafted, and there was plenty of fireworks the next day between the two groups. All members of both groups advanced, and Sonika crossed the line into "I can't vote for her" territory. Dalton still gets cool points.
His former rival Jackie Butler(with the green hair) and obese Brian Dale Brown were both cut, as was Josiah Siska(rats!).
Trick or Treat Try was another one of those groups who practiced in the bathroom; their roster was Kayce Haynes and three guys we'd never heard of named Marcio Donaldson, Jon Klaasen and Kylle Thompson. Their song was "Uptown Funk" and they were all safe. (I would've booted them all out...bow ties are stupid.)
"If you could have any talent in the world other than singing, what would it be?" Harry asked Jennifer. She thinks a minute. "Painting." "Really? Have you tried it?" "Yup. I'm awful at it." "Well, what'd you try? Oils? Watercolors?" "Crayons, everything!"
The roster of LOUD Joy Dove, Daniel Farmer and Lindita the Personal Trainer made up the group known as Smooth Soul, doing Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," of all things...Daniel was cut.
Las Orinquas was Gianna Isabella, some girl named Dana Ordway and a bossy girl named Eliz Camacho. Eliz was eliminated after Harry said "There were two 24-year-olds in this group. And you were outsang by the 15-year-old." (Gianna does a happy dance here.)
The Good Vibes were four "Who?" contestants; a redheaded guy named Joe Kahlman, another dude named Anesai Talai, a girl named Olivia Thai and a nerdy girl named Jessica Paige, who was the only one to advance. "Guys, you look like your dog just died," Harry was really at his wit's end by this point.
CJ Johnson the Memphis musician, another guy named Zach Joseph, a blonde ponytailed girl named Jess Kellner and another blonde girl with a headband named Jessica Baker were another group, and Zach was the odd one out here.
Thomas Stringfellow was part of a group with Bryson Dunn, Thomas Hendricks and some guy with the last name Muglia; the Thomases were the lucky ones. "You guys are all absolutely great solo artists....but that was really average." Harry complains.
Then it was Rebirth's(Malie, Manny and Christian) turn....they did "Stayin' Alive," and it was pretty good. "Best group of the day, don't ya think?" JayLo asks the guys.
The Three Sistas were La'Porscha and two girls named Marlena Johnson and Tonie Starr, Shelbie Z was originally part of this group before defecting to Singing Out Loud. So she was replaced by La'Porscha, who came in from Rebirth, and they also did "Stayin' Alive" as one of the last acts of the day. Everyone forgot the lyrics. Aggravatingly, they were all safe. "That's how you forget the words!" Harry laughed, applauding. "That was like watching Dreamgirls or somethin'," Jennifer said.
The Soulcats were the last group of the day, composed of Jonathan Arthur Greene and three people we'd never seen before: Lauren Wright(not the friend of the Hankinses who went to church camp), Marshall Cunningham and some guy named Dylan. Lauren and Marshall were safe, the other two weren't.
AI 15.7 - Hollywood: Lines of Ten
Dim the lights, please....
We're in Hollywood now. This is where the pressure ramps up exponentially, drama is captured onscreen, and the field is winnowed down to a manageable number. 190 people were given Golden Tickets, but many of them would see their dreams shatter in the opening of "Hell Week," as it's been called frequently in the past. First up, the Lines of Ten(which is exactly what it sounds like). Everyone sings, then the field is weeded. Those who survive advance to the Group Round.
The first thing we learned was that Dalton Rappatoni and Jackie Butler were rivals on the Dallas alt-rock scene; they both survived into the Group Round, as did Jordan Sasser.
The next row included Jenn Blosil(ew), Thomas Stringfellow and Olivia Rox, all of who escaped unscathed. (Go Thomas and Olivia!)
Jessica Cabral(who I don't really remember much), Melanie "Model Eyes" Tierce and Sonika Vaid were all in the next line, and sadly, Melanie was cut.
In the fourth line we saw, La'Porscha "HORRIBLE PERM" Renae got through(BOO....), while Harrison Cohen was dropped. His answer to the interview question, "What're you gonna do now?" was "Well, I guess fill out some college applications..."
Manny "Crush on Jennifer" Torres, Daniel "Crush on Jennifer" Farmer and Sara Sturm all made it through in one piece.
Lee Jean got through, which was cool. Shelbie Z the Hairdresser advancing was not. With that, the first day of Hollywood Week ended, and people got an anxious night's sleep.
When Day 2 opened, Jeneve Rose Mitchell(Off-the-Grid Cello Cowgirl) played a funky version of Little Big Town's "Boondocks" well enough to get through, and then there was a funny montage of the parents watching; Jimmy Kimmel running into Ryan, and contestants freaking out about One Direction doing a soundcheck across the street.
Gianna Isabella and Tristan McIntosh(with the army mom) were both safe; Tristan sang Carrie's "Something in the Water."
Kyrsti Jewel "Superfan" Chavez wasn't able to keep going, but Cameron Richard was, and frustratingly, Michelle Marie was allowed to keep going.
Creepy Kerry Courtney, Sand Springs plumber Jake Dillon, Melany Huber the girl with cancer and Ethan Kuntz all were sent packing.
Trent Harmon the R&B Farmer got mono, but somehow powered through to last another day. Po Scott had a Princess Leia hairdo going on, which maybe intimidated the judges into sending her through, and Emily Brooke also advanced.
108 contestants remain....
We're in Hollywood now. This is where the pressure ramps up exponentially, drama is captured onscreen, and the field is winnowed down to a manageable number. 190 people were given Golden Tickets, but many of them would see their dreams shatter in the opening of "Hell Week," as it's been called frequently in the past. First up, the Lines of Ten(which is exactly what it sounds like). Everyone sings, then the field is weeded. Those who survive advance to the Group Round.
The first thing we learned was that Dalton Rappatoni and Jackie Butler were rivals on the Dallas alt-rock scene; they both survived into the Group Round, as did Jordan Sasser.
The next row included Jenn Blosil(ew), Thomas Stringfellow and Olivia Rox, all of who escaped unscathed. (Go Thomas and Olivia!)
Jessica Cabral(who I don't really remember much), Melanie "Model Eyes" Tierce and Sonika Vaid were all in the next line, and sadly, Melanie was cut.
In the fourth line we saw, La'Porscha "HORRIBLE PERM" Renae got through(BOO....), while Harrison Cohen was dropped. His answer to the interview question, "What're you gonna do now?" was "Well, I guess fill out some college applications..."
Manny "Crush on Jennifer" Torres, Daniel "Crush on Jennifer" Farmer and Sara Sturm all made it through in one piece.
Lee Jean got through, which was cool. Shelbie Z the Hairdresser advancing was not. With that, the first day of Hollywood Week ended, and people got an anxious night's sleep.
When Day 2 opened, Jeneve Rose Mitchell(Off-the-Grid Cello Cowgirl) played a funky version of Little Big Town's "Boondocks" well enough to get through, and then there was a funny montage of the parents watching; Jimmy Kimmel running into Ryan, and contestants freaking out about One Direction doing a soundcheck across the street.
Gianna Isabella and Tristan McIntosh(with the army mom) were both safe; Tristan sang Carrie's "Something in the Water."
Kyrsti Jewel "Superfan" Chavez wasn't able to keep going, but Cameron Richard was, and frustratingly, Michelle Marie was allowed to keep going.
Creepy Kerry Courtney, Sand Springs plumber Jake Dillon, Melany Huber the girl with cancer and Ethan Kuntz all were sent packing.
Trent Harmon the R&B Farmer got mono, but somehow powered through to last another day. Po Scott had a Princess Leia hairdo going on, which maybe intimidated the judges into sending her through, and Emily Brooke also advanced.
108 contestants remain....
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Final American Idol Auditions. EVER.
It was a really, really strange experience watching last Thursday's episode of American Idol. Because, sure, we've known all along that this is the final season, but this was another moment of realizing what that really meant. And AI is just...special.
It opened with a stillshot of a Lewis Carroll quote: "In the end, we regret only the chances we didn't take." (To which I add Wayne Gretzky's saying that "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." I tried the longshot online auditioning once I realized the cattle-calls were over, but I knew it wasn't going to work out. At the same time....I'd always said that I would try.)
We started the last journey in San Francisco; Jessica Cabral was from Brazil, she had a nice voice, but I would have said no. The judges loved her.
Cody Ostrenga was the world champion of horseback shooting, apparently. He also belly danced. His voice sounded like karoke, and it was the awful "Proud Mary", but he enjoyed dancing. "That was the singular weirdest collection of talent I've ever seen." - Harry. "Everything was good - except the singing." - Keith. "My belly dances, I guess....but I'm not a belly dancer." - Jennifer.
Brian Dale Brown was obese. And he had a girlfriend who was 15 years older than he was. AND he auditioned eleven times. His singing sounded more like anguished groaning. And then he did Scooby-Doo impressions? "I've never been more offended, callin' Danny Elfman a musical genius..." Harry huffed. The judges' critiques were theatrical, but quite thorough.
Gina Baez brought her Jack Russel terrier Tinkerbell into the audition with her. "Don't ya just love the entertainment business? You can come into a job interview with a dog and wearing a sparkly dress with stars on it," Harry comments to Keith and JayLo. She did the Meghan Trainor song "Lips Are Movin'" and had way too much fun. She had a big voice, but like Keith said, it wasn't "deeply interesting."
With that, the auditions moved to Philadelphia, where there was an awesome "Eye of the Tiger" montage. Melany Huber sang a boring Bruno mars song, with a resonator guitar. It was dull. But Keith said she had a "good storytelling quality to your voice," and she was through. She also had cancer, which made Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" playing over her celebration just perfect.
Rachel Karyn had her Grandpa Steve playing the guitar for her, she sounded nice from what little we saw of her.
Caroline Bryne had her brother playing guitar for her, she also sounded nice.
Bianca Espinal's dad was her guitar player, and she was all right.
Justin Sullivan was obsessed with Kelly Clarkson. It was right on the line between hilarious and incredibly creepy. He sang "Stronger," of course, and his vocie was pretty good, but not great enough. He was cool with that decision, too, which was good to see. And he looked a lot like NASCAR racer Kyle Larson.
Dylan the Helium Dude was bad.
Chyna Sherrad did an Ariana Grande song called "One Last Time", and proudly announced that she was going to represent her home state of Connecticut. "...How do you represent Connecticut?" Harry wondered. Keith's opinion was that it was "laid back and chill. It was great." The finish was extremely worn off her guitar.
Switching to Atlanta, the crew threw harry a birthday party, where he received a tiny squirrel-sized monkey that he and his daughter had wanted. Jennifer was terrified by it, which was hilarious.
Lillian Glanton could be this year's Hollie Cavanagh or Skylar Laine, which would be awesome. She was from Alabama, and she sounded like it. Grew up on a poultry farm(this is good....Carrie also had a ruralish background), she sang an original called "Country Boyfriend", which was great! It totally could be on radio right now. She was friendly, too. Keith was a huge YES, Harry had no idea what he was watching, and finally Jennifer let her through. (I cheered loudly.) Then she asks, "Can I take a selfie with y'all?"
Kayce Hughes was from Talladega, he was a former druggie alcoholic. His song was something by Needtobreathe, and it was pretty good, though weird. Like if you mixed the voices of David Cook and Kris Allen. Harry thought it was a mix of Jon Bon Jovi and Bono. Anyway, he got through, which was cool.
Zach Person sang the blues really well. "You're from another time," Jennifer said in her critique.
Tomboy waitress Avalon Young seemed nice. Her song was stupid,
I missed several contestants in a row here. Then there was a fire alarm for twenty-five minutes, which I wasn't too happy about.
Jackie Butler had green hair and was in a punk band that lived at her parents' house. She was just....different. I didn't really care for the performance. But she got through.
Manny Torres was unimpressive for being the final audition ever. "You're Puerto Rican?! It's a yes already!" Jennifer laughed. He had a big crush on her.
To someone - "How did I know that was gonna happen?" Keith asks.
To someone else - "Never play guitar again. In public, or ever." - Harry.
And then the lights dimmed for the final time, and an era of television history came to a close. It's so sad.
It opened with a stillshot of a Lewis Carroll quote: "In the end, we regret only the chances we didn't take." (To which I add Wayne Gretzky's saying that "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." I tried the longshot online auditioning once I realized the cattle-calls were over, but I knew it wasn't going to work out. At the same time....I'd always said that I would try.)
We started the last journey in San Francisco; Jessica Cabral was from Brazil, she had a nice voice, but I would have said no. The judges loved her.
Cody Ostrenga was the world champion of horseback shooting, apparently. He also belly danced. His voice sounded like karoke, and it was the awful "Proud Mary", but he enjoyed dancing. "That was the singular weirdest collection of talent I've ever seen." - Harry. "Everything was good - except the singing." - Keith. "My belly dances, I guess....but I'm not a belly dancer." - Jennifer.
Brian Dale Brown was obese. And he had a girlfriend who was 15 years older than he was. AND he auditioned eleven times. His singing sounded more like anguished groaning. And then he did Scooby-Doo impressions? "I've never been more offended, callin' Danny Elfman a musical genius..." Harry huffed. The judges' critiques were theatrical, but quite thorough.
Gina Baez brought her Jack Russel terrier Tinkerbell into the audition with her. "Don't ya just love the entertainment business? You can come into a job interview with a dog and wearing a sparkly dress with stars on it," Harry comments to Keith and JayLo. She did the Meghan Trainor song "Lips Are Movin'" and had way too much fun. She had a big voice, but like Keith said, it wasn't "deeply interesting."
With that, the auditions moved to Philadelphia, where there was an awesome "Eye of the Tiger" montage. Melany Huber sang a boring Bruno mars song, with a resonator guitar. It was dull. But Keith said she had a "good storytelling quality to your voice," and she was through. She also had cancer, which made Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" playing over her celebration just perfect.
Rachel Karyn had her Grandpa Steve playing the guitar for her, she sounded nice from what little we saw of her.
Caroline Bryne had her brother playing guitar for her, she also sounded nice.
Bianca Espinal's dad was her guitar player, and she was all right.
Justin Sullivan was obsessed with Kelly Clarkson. It was right on the line between hilarious and incredibly creepy. He sang "Stronger," of course, and his vocie was pretty good, but not great enough. He was cool with that decision, too, which was good to see. And he looked a lot like NASCAR racer Kyle Larson.
Dylan the Helium Dude was bad.
Chyna Sherrad did an Ariana Grande song called "One Last Time", and proudly announced that she was going to represent her home state of Connecticut. "...How do you represent Connecticut?" Harry wondered. Keith's opinion was that it was "laid back and chill. It was great." The finish was extremely worn off her guitar.
Switching to Atlanta, the crew threw harry a birthday party, where he received a tiny squirrel-sized monkey that he and his daughter had wanted. Jennifer was terrified by it, which was hilarious.
Lillian Glanton could be this year's Hollie Cavanagh or Skylar Laine, which would be awesome. She was from Alabama, and she sounded like it. Grew up on a poultry farm(this is good....Carrie also had a ruralish background), she sang an original called "Country Boyfriend", which was great! It totally could be on radio right now. She was friendly, too. Keith was a huge YES, Harry had no idea what he was watching, and finally Jennifer let her through. (I cheered loudly.) Then she asks, "Can I take a selfie with y'all?"
Kayce Hughes was from Talladega, he was a former druggie alcoholic. His song was something by Needtobreathe, and it was pretty good, though weird. Like if you mixed the voices of David Cook and Kris Allen. Harry thought it was a mix of Jon Bon Jovi and Bono. Anyway, he got through, which was cool.
Zach Person sang the blues really well. "You're from another time," Jennifer said in her critique.
Tomboy waitress Avalon Young seemed nice. Her song was stupid,
I missed several contestants in a row here. Then there was a fire alarm for twenty-five minutes, which I wasn't too happy about.
Jackie Butler had green hair and was in a punk band that lived at her parents' house. She was just....different. I didn't really care for the performance. But she got through.
Manny Torres was unimpressive for being the final audition ever. "You're Puerto Rican?! It's a yes already!" Jennifer laughed. He had a big crush on her.
To someone - "How did I know that was gonna happen?" Keith asks.
To someone else - "Never play guitar again. In public, or ever." - Harry.
And then the lights dimmed for the final time, and an era of television history came to a close. It's so sad.
AI 15.5 Auditions - Misc. Highlights
Last Wednesday's American Idol auditions were...almost boring. It was a bunch of highlights from everywhere, which made it hard to follow. But there were a couple bright spots.
Miranda Scott, called "Po" because she loved Teletubbies as a kid, was wearing something that looked like painter's overalls, and her sister was on the show the year before. I just wrote down "Meh....", but the judges loved her.
Clay Aiken to a wailing cross-dresser: "It was pretty damn bad. I ain't got time for this."
Amelia Eisenhauer was a samurai fiddler, Southern and relaxed with a powerful voice, a storyteller type of thing. "There's this mysterious quality about you that I can't figure out....I guess that's why it's mysterious...." Harry's thoughts wandered off somewhere. "Your voice is really extraordinary," Keith praised. "I am so excited. I am gona get some chocolate cake, and...I am not going to scream right here." I liked her.
Joy Dove was a LOUD black lady. Very exuberant performance; all Harry could say was "You just sing LOUD..." I hated it, but the judges enjoyed her singing. "You're so happy she's from Louisiana right now," Jennifer pokes Harry.
Mackenzie Bourg has the same birthday as Harry, and he's also from Louisiana. He did something I'd never seen before: a medley of songs from all four judges. "Stupid Boy/Come By Me/Love Don't Cost a Thing/Making Memories of Us". He had weird glasses and hair, but his voice was all right, and he seemed like a creative dude. "I loved the first and fourth songs, I'd never heard of the others," Keith quipped. "You can't get more biased - Louisiana, he has my birthday, and he sang my song. But I like him!" Harry proclaims.
Andrew and Adam Bridwell were nerds. Like, the Napoleon Dynamite type. Their performance was weird, and the only thing Keith could think of to say was that it sounded like "a Gregorian acid trip." (That's one of the best descriptions AI has ever had.)
Jenna Renae was a klutzy pianist with a fantastic voice. "I'm so sorry - I just break things! It was an accident!"
Mario Bonds was a high-energy blind black guy, and as Andy Griffith would say, he had a high roof to his mouth. The judges' rejections were extremely kindly worded.
Adam Lasher fingerpicked his way through "Knockin' On Heaven's Door". His voice sounded cool.
Emily Brooke sang a RaeLynn song called "Careless", which was interesting, since RaeLynn was a winner of The Voice, a member of one of Blake's teams. Anyway, Emily sang Carrie's "Blown Away" last year. It was a good imitation of RaeLynn's voice, but I'm not sure I would have let her through. It was nice guitar playing, though.
Miranda Scott, called "Po" because she loved Teletubbies as a kid, was wearing something that looked like painter's overalls, and her sister was on the show the year before. I just wrote down "Meh....", but the judges loved her.
Clay Aiken to a wailing cross-dresser: "It was pretty damn bad. I ain't got time for this."
Amelia Eisenhauer was a samurai fiddler, Southern and relaxed with a powerful voice, a storyteller type of thing. "There's this mysterious quality about you that I can't figure out....I guess that's why it's mysterious...." Harry's thoughts wandered off somewhere. "Your voice is really extraordinary," Keith praised. "I am so excited. I am gona get some chocolate cake, and...I am not going to scream right here." I liked her.
Joy Dove was a LOUD black lady. Very exuberant performance; all Harry could say was "You just sing LOUD..." I hated it, but the judges enjoyed her singing. "You're so happy she's from Louisiana right now," Jennifer pokes Harry.
Mackenzie Bourg has the same birthday as Harry, and he's also from Louisiana. He did something I'd never seen before: a medley of songs from all four judges. "Stupid Boy/Come By Me/Love Don't Cost a Thing/Making Memories of Us". He had weird glasses and hair, but his voice was all right, and he seemed like a creative dude. "I loved the first and fourth songs, I'd never heard of the others," Keith quipped. "You can't get more biased - Louisiana, he has my birthday, and he sang my song. But I like him!" Harry proclaims.
Andrew and Adam Bridwell were nerds. Like, the Napoleon Dynamite type. Their performance was weird, and the only thing Keith could think of to say was that it sounded like "a Gregorian acid trip." (That's one of the best descriptions AI has ever had.)
Jenna Renae was a klutzy pianist with a fantastic voice. "I'm so sorry - I just break things! It was an accident!"
Mario Bonds was a high-energy blind black guy, and as Andy Griffith would say, he had a high roof to his mouth. The judges' rejections were extremely kindly worded.
Adam Lasher fingerpicked his way through "Knockin' On Heaven's Door". His voice sounded cool.
Emily Brooke sang a RaeLynn song called "Careless", which was interesting, since RaeLynn was a winner of The Voice, a member of one of Blake's teams. Anyway, Emily sang Carrie's "Blown Away" last year. It was a good imitation of RaeLynn's voice, but I'm not sure I would have let her through. It was nice guitar playing, though.
Monday, January 18, 2016
AI 15.4 Auditions - Denver/Little Rock
It was back to Little Rock and Denver for last Thursday's episode of American Idol auditions, and frustratingly they still didn't show the DeSpain's neighbor.
Season 9's Larry Platt (of "Pants On The Ground" fame) was mentioned in the opening sequence, which was awesome.
Amber Lynn and James VIII were weird. She was wailing, and his guitar wasn't that great either. He looked a lot like the Grinch. But they let both of them through anyway. WHAT THE HECK?!
Emily Weirs was an auctioneer(which of course meant John Michael Montgomery's song "Sold! (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" played in the background). She picked Jo Dee Messina's "Bring On the Rain" and did a great job, but she was awarded three "no"s. Again....WHAT THE HECK?!
CJ Johnson was a professional musician from Memphis, his performance wasn't terrible, and almost cool, but not quite right. Sort of like Phillip Phillips meets Five for Fighting. They let him through, which I disagreed with.
Switching back to Little Rock, it was Ethan Kuntz's turn. He was from Nashville, Arkansas, and he tried to stump everyone he met with locating it. (Wikipedia says it's in the southwest part of the state, and the high school teams are known as the "Scrappers".) "Sure, I know where Nashville, Arkansas is. Somewhere in Arkansas," Kris Allen laughed it off. His family raises hunting dogs, and his voice was pretty good, but it sure didn't match the rest of him.
Mary Williams the horse trainer continued the string of "Being from some famous town....that was actually somewhere completely different", as she came from Belfast, Tennessee. She sang Tammy Wynette, which was fine, but very boring. And it was the first recorded use of TMM in my notebook this season(Too Much Makeup). "That was performed more than it was confessed. It wasn't a story," Keith complained.
Going back to Denver, the judges got to shoot baskets with the Nuggets PA guy. That was funny. (JayLo won.) His name was Xavier Soller, and he tried singing "Friends in Low Places". It was awful. "I loved playing basketball with you, and I love that I won, but no." "Will you be OK?" Keith pounced on that pun immediately.
Terrian Bass's hair was really unusual. It wasn't my style of music, and her voice was wrong for the song choice.
Returning to Little Rock, a girl calling herself "Blue" was an Andy Dwyer-type of songwriter. And she had a ukelele. And a nose ring between her nostrils like a bull. She sang an awful improvised original song, and everyone was very relieved when she disappeared. "It kinda sounded like a Jewish prayer song..." Harry said, thinking.
Thomas Stringfellow was from Bentonville, he had a terrible voice, but could play guitar well. He was about the eighth person this season to do Ed Sheeran's song "Give Me Love".
And finally returning to Denver, we had TyWan Jackson the 300-pound dance instructor, who called himself "Tank". He also had a tiny stereo. "That is the smallest boom box I've ever seen," one of the guys said(I forget who). He did a Luther Vandross song called "Superstar", which actually sounded okay, until the shouting part that seems to be a requirement of Luther Vandross songs.
A familiar face returned, it being the last season: John Wayne Schulz, aka the equally cool cowboy/Army flight instructor who lost the last spot in the finals of season 10 to Scotty McCreery(who won, of course). Turned out his mom had just gotten cancer back then, and if he would have gotten through then he would have missed her final months. So that probably turned out best. He sang Garth Brooks's "The Dance", and I just scrawled "YES." in capitals in my notebook. "You had such a natural way of doing it, it was so refreshing not to hear another Garth impression." Keith complimented him. "That was a perfect, succinct performance. I wanted to be at a campfire or something right there." - Harry. I also saw this clip shared on Facebook twice the next day outside of the AI page.
Leah Herbert apparently learned to sing by playing a Britney Spears cassette on constant repeat. She did something by Aretha Franklin, and it was TERRIBLE. "Can we stop it, please?" JayLo begged. "Your voice leaves a lot of unanswered questions," Harry said. "You did really well at hiding Britney's influence," was all Keith said.
Jordyn Simone was SO not 15. It sounded like something that would be part of a movie soundtrack; which isn't necessarily bad, just different. "Is there something higher than yes?" Keith wondered.
Going back to Little Rock, they let Kassy Levels through without giving the audience any time to listen to her.
Rhea Raj was a piano girl who they let through without really showing any of her performance.
Jake Dillon was a plumber's apprentice from Sand Springs(Immediate bonus points!), and after they give him a hard time about that, Keith shakes his head. "You are so literal..." He then proceeds to sing "The Lucky One" by Kenny Loggins, which was awesome, reminding me a little of Eric Church. I wrote "YES!" in my notebook. Harry said no(WHAT THE HECK?!), Jennifer said yes, and so did Keith. "When we get to Hollywood, I'm gonna let Harry have it...one note at a time."
Back to Denver, with a really weird girl named Ashley Adams-Soderbergh. (Proof: "I've been around the sun twenty times," was how she answered the question "How old are you?") She was okay, but it was weird. After a pause, Keith breaks the ice: "I liked the way you play guitar." "You don't fit in anywhere," Harry then tells her point-blank. (He was right, though.)
Keith and Jennifer then have fun with accents.
Russian Andrew was either extremely tall or extremely thin. He sang Garth Brooks's "To Make You Feel My Love", which came from the 1998 movie Hope Floats, which starred Harry. That was funny, in a strange way. He sounded pretty good, except for thinking it was a song from Adele.
The final contestant of the night was Elvie Shane, who was a former druggie wearing an Amish hat. I don't much like "House of the Rising Sun", but he did a nice version of it.
Amber Lynn and James VIII were weird. She was wailing, and his guitar wasn't that great either. He looked a lot like the Grinch. But they let both of them through anyway. WHAT THE HECK?!
Emily Weirs was an auctioneer(which of course meant John Michael Montgomery's song "Sold! (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" played in the background). She picked Jo Dee Messina's "Bring On the Rain" and did a great job, but she was awarded three "no"s. Again....WHAT THE HECK?!
CJ Johnson was a professional musician from Memphis, his performance wasn't terrible, and almost cool, but not quite right. Sort of like Phillip Phillips meets Five for Fighting. They let him through, which I disagreed with.
Switching back to Little Rock, it was Ethan Kuntz's turn. He was from Nashville, Arkansas, and he tried to stump everyone he met with locating it. (Wikipedia says it's in the southwest part of the state, and the high school teams are known as the "Scrappers".) "Sure, I know where Nashville, Arkansas is. Somewhere in Arkansas," Kris Allen laughed it off. His family raises hunting dogs, and his voice was pretty good, but it sure didn't match the rest of him.
Mary Williams the horse trainer continued the string of "Being from some famous town....that was actually somewhere completely different", as she came from Belfast, Tennessee. She sang Tammy Wynette, which was fine, but very boring. And it was the first recorded use of TMM in my notebook this season(Too Much Makeup). "That was performed more than it was confessed. It wasn't a story," Keith complained.
Going back to Denver, the judges got to shoot baskets with the Nuggets PA guy. That was funny. (JayLo won.) His name was Xavier Soller, and he tried singing "Friends in Low Places". It was awful. "I loved playing basketball with you, and I love that I won, but no." "Will you be OK?" Keith pounced on that pun immediately.
Terrian Bass's hair was really unusual. It wasn't my style of music, and her voice was wrong for the song choice.
Returning to Little Rock, a girl calling herself "Blue" was an Andy Dwyer-type of songwriter. And she had a ukelele. And a nose ring between her nostrils like a bull. She sang an awful improvised original song, and everyone was very relieved when she disappeared. "It kinda sounded like a Jewish prayer song..." Harry said, thinking.
Thomas Stringfellow was from Bentonville, he had a terrible voice, but could play guitar well. He was about the eighth person this season to do Ed Sheeran's song "Give Me Love".
And finally returning to Denver, we had TyWan Jackson the 300-pound dance instructor, who called himself "Tank". He also had a tiny stereo. "That is the smallest boom box I've ever seen," one of the guys said(I forget who). He did a Luther Vandross song called "Superstar", which actually sounded okay, until the shouting part that seems to be a requirement of Luther Vandross songs.
A familiar face returned, it being the last season: John Wayne Schulz, aka the equally cool cowboy/Army flight instructor who lost the last spot in the finals of season 10 to Scotty McCreery(who won, of course). Turned out his mom had just gotten cancer back then, and if he would have gotten through then he would have missed her final months. So that probably turned out best. He sang Garth Brooks's "The Dance", and I just scrawled "YES." in capitals in my notebook. "You had such a natural way of doing it, it was so refreshing not to hear another Garth impression." Keith complimented him. "That was a perfect, succinct performance. I wanted to be at a campfire or something right there." - Harry. I also saw this clip shared on Facebook twice the next day outside of the AI page.
Leah Herbert apparently learned to sing by playing a Britney Spears cassette on constant repeat. She did something by Aretha Franklin, and it was TERRIBLE. "Can we stop it, please?" JayLo begged. "Your voice leaves a lot of unanswered questions," Harry said. "You did really well at hiding Britney's influence," was all Keith said.
Jordyn Simone was SO not 15. It sounded like something that would be part of a movie soundtrack; which isn't necessarily bad, just different. "Is there something higher than yes?" Keith wondered.
Going back to Little Rock, they let Kassy Levels through without giving the audience any time to listen to her.
Rhea Raj was a piano girl who they let through without really showing any of her performance.
Jake Dillon was a plumber's apprentice from Sand Springs(Immediate bonus points!), and after they give him a hard time about that, Keith shakes his head. "You are so literal..." He then proceeds to sing "The Lucky One" by Kenny Loggins, which was awesome, reminding me a little of Eric Church. I wrote "YES!" in my notebook. Harry said no(WHAT THE HECK?!), Jennifer said yes, and so did Keith. "When we get to Hollywood, I'm gonna let Harry have it...one note at a time."
Back to Denver, with a really weird girl named Ashley Adams-Soderbergh. (Proof: "I've been around the sun twenty times," was how she answered the question "How old are you?") She was okay, but it was weird. After a pause, Keith breaks the ice: "I liked the way you play guitar." "You don't fit in anywhere," Harry then tells her point-blank. (He was right, though.)
Keith and Jennifer then have fun with accents.
Russian Andrew was either extremely tall or extremely thin. He sang Garth Brooks's "To Make You Feel My Love", which came from the 1998 movie Hope Floats, which starred Harry. That was funny, in a strange way. He sounded pretty good, except for thinking it was a song from Adele.
The final contestant of the night was Elvie Shane, who was a former druggie wearing an Amish hat. I don't much like "House of the Rising Sun", but he did a nice version of it.
AI 15.3 Auditions - Philadelphia
Last Wednesday night the auditions came from Philadelphia, and it was a little disappointing.
But still, it's American Idol, so that's something. And there's some nights that are just clunkers.
The first contestant was Gianna Isabella, who was wearing something like a quilt, maybe? Or a nightgown? Anyway, her mom was a dance-pop star from the 80's. She sang "House of the Rising Sun", which is a weird song in the first place, but it seemed especially wrong for a girl to sing it. Her voice was okay. Keith acted very gentlemanly.
Next was a guy named Derek who was awful. But he had a boombox, which was an AI first. "It's a yes for the boom box." - Keith.
A farm kid named Isaac Cole McNanny was next. "So it's like an Irish babysitter," Keith explained to the other judges on how to pronounce his last name. He sang Lee Brice's "Love Like Crazy" extremely well, which impressed me. His hair was horrible, though.
Sara Sturm reminded me a bit of Courtney's friend Libby. Her voice was better than I expected, singing some Meghan Trainor song, but she was just far too bouncy. It was a little overly Tigger-ish for me.
Ellis Banks was a bizarre janitor singing "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. The judges laughed him out of the room, as they should have.
Jenn Blosil was extremely awkward. And not in a good way.... Like in a borderline terrifying way. Her voice wasn't terrible(she did "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons), but I was very disappointed that the judges let her through. She reminded me of Brooke White from season 7, likely because she also listed her job as in child care(Brooke White was a nanny). JayLo called this audition "very compelling", while Keith was a bit stumped for what to say. "I spell my name with two N's whenever I don't add the -ifer." - JayLo.
Harrison Cohen brought his grandpa along, and everyone had a blast with Grandpa's dating tips. "Don't be nervous. Consider this audition just as Tinder on steroids," Keith tried to loosen him up before the actual audition. He sang a really strange original song and they let him through. Then there was a dating montage, and JayLo explained to Keith what Grandpa's advice actually meant. (Apparently it was good; something about being sure to compliment whatever she's most insecure about herself.)
The final contestant of the night was Jonathan Arthur Greene, who had a tragic backstory of accidentally shooting his older brother when he was eight. His voice was just all over the place, way too wild. It seemed too Broadway like. Plus it was Keith's song "Somebody Like You", which made it a little awkward. And the rhythm was off. But they let him through anyway.
Though I don't usually care for crime-procedural shows, Aubrey Plaza was guest-starring on Criminal Minds right afterwards as a terrorist in a restaurant, which resulted in a couple well-written quips: "You're not sorry. 'Sorry' is what people are when they don't understand." - Kat Adams(Plaza). "Most hitmen are basically Swiss Army Knives of murder," - Spencer Reid.
The first contestant was Gianna Isabella, who was wearing something like a quilt, maybe? Or a nightgown? Anyway, her mom was a dance-pop star from the 80's. She sang "House of the Rising Sun", which is a weird song in the first place, but it seemed especially wrong for a girl to sing it. Her voice was okay. Keith acted very gentlemanly.
Next was a guy named Derek who was awful. But he had a boombox, which was an AI first. "It's a yes for the boom box." - Keith.
A farm kid named Isaac Cole McNanny was next. "So it's like an Irish babysitter," Keith explained to the other judges on how to pronounce his last name. He sang Lee Brice's "Love Like Crazy" extremely well, which impressed me. His hair was horrible, though.
Sara Sturm reminded me a bit of Courtney's friend Libby. Her voice was better than I expected, singing some Meghan Trainor song, but she was just far too bouncy. It was a little overly Tigger-ish for me.
Ellis Banks was a bizarre janitor singing "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. The judges laughed him out of the room, as they should have.
Jenn Blosil was extremely awkward. And not in a good way.... Like in a borderline terrifying way. Her voice wasn't terrible(she did "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons), but I was very disappointed that the judges let her through. She reminded me of Brooke White from season 7, likely because she also listed her job as in child care(Brooke White was a nanny). JayLo called this audition "very compelling", while Keith was a bit stumped for what to say. "I spell my name with two N's whenever I don't add the -ifer." - JayLo.
Harrison Cohen brought his grandpa along, and everyone had a blast with Grandpa's dating tips. "Don't be nervous. Consider this audition just as Tinder on steroids," Keith tried to loosen him up before the actual audition. He sang a really strange original song and they let him through. Then there was a dating montage, and JayLo explained to Keith what Grandpa's advice actually meant. (Apparently it was good; something about being sure to compliment whatever she's most insecure about herself.)
The final contestant of the night was Jonathan Arthur Greene, who had a tragic backstory of accidentally shooting his older brother when he was eight. His voice was just all over the place, way too wild. It seemed too Broadway like. Plus it was Keith's song "Somebody Like You", which made it a little awkward. And the rhythm was off. But they let him through anyway.
Though I don't usually care for crime-procedural shows, Aubrey Plaza was guest-starring on Criminal Minds right afterwards as a terrorist in a restaurant, which resulted in a couple well-written quips: "You're not sorry. 'Sorry' is what people are when they don't understand." - Kat Adams(Plaza). "Most hitmen are basically Swiss Army Knives of murder," - Spencer Reid.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
AI 15.2 Auditions - San Francisco/Little Rock
It's time for the (very late) recap of the auditions in San Franscisco and Little Rock that were shown Thursday night. (But at least it's getting written before the next episode.) So we were in Tanner territory and smack dab in the middle of the Razorback pen. There were a lot of good voices, and some good quotes. And it was nice to have everybody circled around the TV again, and being able to debate contestants afterwards.
Cameron Richard was a good story, overcoming that cleft palate, but his performance of an Ed Sheeran song called "Give Me Love" felt like it would have belonged better at a talent show. His voice didn't seem very developed yet at all. But they let him through anyway...
Daniel with the Gigantic Crush on JayLo was better than I expected. He shouldn't have gotten through, I don't think, but the Tinder montage right after his audition was pretty funny.
Dalton Rappatoni sang an incredible boring song("The Phantom of the Opera"?!), but his voice was decent. Trevor was extremely offended that he was wearing makeup.
La'Porsha Renae had a HORRIBLE perm. It was cool seeing JayLo hold the baby, but it felt like this audition never ended. After eight million years, it finally did.
Maddie the Farm Girl definitely made an impression....but what can you say to someone who introduces herself and her hen by saying "This chicken has the biggest breasts in Arkansas"? She didn't have a voice big enough to sing something of Carrie's. Also, there is no way "Cowboy Casanova" can ever be sung that slowly. "Umm.....you just sound so young," was all Harry could think of to say. The judges launching into the Green Acres theme song was hysterical.
Staying around the farm was Trent Harmon, but as he said during his intro, "You can sing to the cows all you want....but they still won't buy any albums." And so then he started singing....and I totally agreed with JayLo's "I can't even." "So was NOT expecting that...." - Keith. Trevor hated it. The memes afterward were entertaining.
Switching out west to San Francisco, Brooke the Ditzy Apologizing Waitress was hilarious and highly quotable: "Shcrap....I'm sorry." "Most nights I go home smelling like ranch." She sang a Dixie Chicks song, it was all right.
Olivia Rox had a really cool guitar, and the second thing I noticed about it was that her capo was set at 8. (That's extremely high.) She played piano well and seemed friendly and pretty in a Natalie Portman type of way, I would totally vote for her.
Jessica the Witch was fine, in an "instantly forgetable" way.
The girl named Ameet just got a "Meh...." in my notebook. "Is this American Idol, or is it American Bridal?" Keith wanted to know.
Kayla looked terrifying. (I have no remembrance of this contestant.)
Melanie Tierce with the "model eyes" was cute. And she had a really nice voice. And a pretty guitar.
Miss Alaska Malie the radio host seemed like the wild edge of cool. She sang a Gretchen Wilson tune called "Chariot", which was weird-sounding. "It's like a dog fight with the girls this year. In your case I guess that'd be a husky fight....So, MUSH!" - Harry.
Brandyn from St. Louis looked really familiar for some weird reason that none of us could figure out. He sang an original song that sounded like it was radio-ready right then. And then Harry snuck up behind him, which was hilarious enough, but then to hug him at the end, that was absolutely hysterical. (And it actually fit the lyric really well.) "I thought for a minute that was my mom..." Brandyn said. "Evidently his mom has very hairy arms," Keith commented once he'd left.
Kyrsti Chavez was very Energetic. And clear, and Loud. "Mom and Dad are watching. How can I say no?" Harry asked. Her family was even funnier, though - "I just won the lottery...." when Ryan told him to go watch the audition from the inside. She shouldn't have been let through based on her voice, but Hollywood does need Personalities.
Then there was some fortune cookie fun, and a great montage of overconfident contestants.
Frenetic Sarah was truly awful, prattling on for nine minutes about the body being a temple(Harry interrupting with "What about my damn temple?!" was funny.) Then she infuriated Keith and most of America by slamming country music(yes, he does know who Miranda Lambert is - they're friends, and they teamed up for "We Were Us". Also, they filmed that video in Oklahoma City.) Anyway, Sarah was abrasive all the way through, and then she repeatedly forgot the lyrics. It was a good karoke voice. "You need to know the lyrics and be prepared. You kept saying, 'Oh, I messed up' and shooting yourself in the foot over and over. That sets up our expectations, which makes you even more unsettled....If you're auditioning, that is not the best way to do it. You don't seem ready for this at all." Keith just stated flatly. (Lots of cheers from our family room here.)
They brought us back to Little Rock for the end, as Tristan McIntosh closed out the show. (She looks a lot like Becky Sproles from Friday Night Lights.) She played piano well, and had a really interesting tone to her voice, which reminded me a bit of Sara Evans. And then her mom showing up, and they played Carrie's "So Small" over the whole scene....it was amazing! "I'm really happy right now," Tristan sobs. "I know I don't look like it but I am!" And so was the rest of America.
The DeSpains' neighbor Kailey Abel was auditioning in Little Rock, and she got a Golden Ticket, too. They didn't show her audition, but I looked up some videos of her on YouTube, and she sounded pretty good.
So after the first week of episodes, I'm pulling for Josiah, Lee Jean, Sonika, Reanna, Brooke, Olivia, Melanie, Brandyn and Tristan.
Cameron Richard was a good story, overcoming that cleft palate, but his performance of an Ed Sheeran song called "Give Me Love" felt like it would have belonged better at a talent show. His voice didn't seem very developed yet at all. But they let him through anyway...
Daniel with the Gigantic Crush on JayLo was better than I expected. He shouldn't have gotten through, I don't think, but the Tinder montage right after his audition was pretty funny.
Dalton Rappatoni sang an incredible boring song("The Phantom of the Opera"?!), but his voice was decent. Trevor was extremely offended that he was wearing makeup.
La'Porsha Renae had a HORRIBLE perm. It was cool seeing JayLo hold the baby, but it felt like this audition never ended. After eight million years, it finally did.
Maddie the Farm Girl definitely made an impression....but what can you say to someone who introduces herself and her hen by saying "This chicken has the biggest breasts in Arkansas"? She didn't have a voice big enough to sing something of Carrie's. Also, there is no way "Cowboy Casanova" can ever be sung that slowly. "Umm.....you just sound so young," was all Harry could think of to say. The judges launching into the Green Acres theme song was hysterical.
Staying around the farm was Trent Harmon, but as he said during his intro, "You can sing to the cows all you want....but they still won't buy any albums." And so then he started singing....and I totally agreed with JayLo's "I can't even." "So was NOT expecting that...." - Keith. Trevor hated it. The memes afterward were entertaining.
Switching out west to San Francisco, Brooke the Ditzy Apologizing Waitress was hilarious and highly quotable: "Shcrap....I'm sorry." "Most nights I go home smelling like ranch." She sang a Dixie Chicks song, it was all right.
Olivia Rox had a really cool guitar, and the second thing I noticed about it was that her capo was set at 8. (That's extremely high.) She played piano well and seemed friendly and pretty in a Natalie Portman type of way, I would totally vote for her.
Jessica the Witch was fine, in an "instantly forgetable" way.
The girl named Ameet just got a "Meh...." in my notebook. "Is this American Idol, or is it American Bridal?" Keith wanted to know.
Kayla looked terrifying. (I have no remembrance of this contestant.)
Melanie Tierce with the "model eyes" was cute. And she had a really nice voice. And a pretty guitar.
Miss Alaska Malie the radio host seemed like the wild edge of cool. She sang a Gretchen Wilson tune called "Chariot", which was weird-sounding. "It's like a dog fight with the girls this year. In your case I guess that'd be a husky fight....So, MUSH!" - Harry.
Brandyn from St. Louis looked really familiar for some weird reason that none of us could figure out. He sang an original song that sounded like it was radio-ready right then. And then Harry snuck up behind him, which was hilarious enough, but then to hug him at the end, that was absolutely hysterical. (And it actually fit the lyric really well.) "I thought for a minute that was my mom..." Brandyn said. "Evidently his mom has very hairy arms," Keith commented once he'd left.
Kyrsti Chavez was very Energetic. And clear, and Loud. "Mom and Dad are watching. How can I say no?" Harry asked. Her family was even funnier, though - "I just won the lottery...." when Ryan told him to go watch the audition from the inside. She shouldn't have been let through based on her voice, but Hollywood does need Personalities.
Then there was some fortune cookie fun, and a great montage of overconfident contestants.
Frenetic Sarah was truly awful, prattling on for nine minutes about the body being a temple(Harry interrupting with "What about my damn temple?!" was funny.) Then she infuriated Keith and most of America by slamming country music(yes, he does know who Miranda Lambert is - they're friends, and they teamed up for "We Were Us". Also, they filmed that video in Oklahoma City.) Anyway, Sarah was abrasive all the way through, and then she repeatedly forgot the lyrics. It was a good karoke voice. "You need to know the lyrics and be prepared. You kept saying, 'Oh, I messed up' and shooting yourself in the foot over and over. That sets up our expectations, which makes you even more unsettled....If you're auditioning, that is not the best way to do it. You don't seem ready for this at all." Keith just stated flatly. (Lots of cheers from our family room here.)
They brought us back to Little Rock for the end, as Tristan McIntosh closed out the show. (She looks a lot like Becky Sproles from Friday Night Lights.) She played piano well, and had a really interesting tone to her voice, which reminded me a bit of Sara Evans. And then her mom showing up, and they played Carrie's "So Small" over the whole scene....it was amazing! "I'm really happy right now," Tristan sobs. "I know I don't look like it but I am!" And so was the rest of America.
The DeSpains' neighbor Kailey Abel was auditioning in Little Rock, and she got a Golden Ticket, too. They didn't show her audition, but I looked up some videos of her on YouTube, and she sounded pretty good.
So after the first week of episodes, I'm pulling for Josiah, Lee Jean, Sonika, Reanna, Brooke, Olivia, Melanie, Brandyn and Tristan.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
American Idol Farewell Premiere
The fifteenth and final season of American Idol has started.
That's really sad. And at the same time, wonderful. Last summer I wrote an in-depth post about what AI has meant,
But based on the first episode, it should hopefully go well. There were all these tweets reposted by the AI account from people like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood watching, and then plenty of fans, too. That was entertaining.
I was watching with Trevor in the family room, which is exactly the same place we all experimented with this singing show during the first night of auditions in season 6. So that was a nice bit of symmetry.
There were the debates and discussions with Annette and Sarah during rehearsals for the spring co-op play during season 6(which was actually a parody of Idol, adding to the fun). Then there was the email group with Mom, Damon, Trish, Mike and Vonda (and Clay!) for a couple years, adding greatly to the experience. Arguing with people on Webkinz during season 8, and then talking over episodes with Sam, Jon and Josh. I kept reviews for a while on here; watching season 12 alone in my frozen dorm room in Ross during my freshman year, then took a break for a couple seasons before returning.
Me, Annette, Julie, Quinton and Alton were all planning on trying out at some point, but life kind of gets in the way of plans like that.
I was watching with Trevor in the family room, which is exactly the same place we all experimented with this singing show during the first night of auditions in season 6. So that was a nice bit of symmetry.
There were the debates and discussions with Annette and Sarah during rehearsals for the spring co-op play during season 6(which was actually a parody of Idol, adding to the fun). Then there was the email group with Mom, Damon, Trish, Mike and Vonda (and Clay!) for a couple years, adding greatly to the experience. Arguing with people on Webkinz during season 8, and then talking over episodes with Sam, Jon and Josh. I kept reviews for a while on here; watching season 12 alone in my frozen dorm room in Ross during my freshman year, then took a break for a couple seasons before returning.
Me, Annette, Julie, Quinton and Alton were all planning on trying out at some point, but life kind of gets in the way of plans like that.
The auditions started in Atlanta with a girl named Michelle, and she sang LeAnn Rimes's "Blue" pretty well. She was kind of annoying, but her voice was good enough to get one of those golden tickets. her family was watching on a couple of video monitors, and they all crashed into the audition room to rejoice, which was funny to see. A good bit of audition craziness they can use later in montages.
Next was Josiah Siska the Golf Cart Driver singing Johnny Cash; he did really well. Harry added sound effects to the performance, which was funny. And then the guy's mom asked him to sing a Beauty and the Beast song in the car on the way home, which was perfect. (That's a great movie. I need to watch it again.)
Lindita the personal trainer wasn't my style of music, but she sounded fine. I was okay with the judges letting her though; Trevor squawked at this decision. Also, I don't really care if you have lost a ton of weight in your inspiring journey to the audition room or whatever....but they do need some of those types of stories to fill space.
Keith hopping in place to reduce stiffness was really hilarious. And his "Do you think this would be distracting?" And then Harry was being an intimidating statue in the corner and JayLo lounged on the table. Billy Bob the hillbilly was a good colorful contestant, but they were totally right, his voice was way too inconsistent to advance. But he could play guitar. And singing Waylon Jennings was a cool touch.
Lee Jean was a friendly teenager from New Orleans, and he was pretty good. He did an Ed Sheeran song, and he can play guitar really well, too! I was glad he advanced.
The show then shifted to Denver, where our first Colorado contestant was Jeneve Rose Mitchell, a cowgirl who lives on a ranch without electricity. Idol is about the only show they watch, and they fire up a generator to power the TV. Her voice wasn't that great, but it was decent. And it's really rare that you see someone play a cello. Especially a bluegrass cello, while singing. It made for a bewildering rendition of The Band Perry's "Chainsaw", but it was a pleasant type of strangeness. (Unlike this bluegrass version of Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead", which was bizarrely upbeat.)
Sonika Vaid from Massachusetts did an amazing cover of one of Carrie's early songs And Ryan's comment to her dad was great: "Hey, listen, next time we FaceTime, do your hair."
Joseph Kohlruss from Arizona was awful, and somehow pitiful. But we need those people the audience can laugh at.
Reanna the police officer was really good. And the bit where she handcuffed Harry was really entertaining. She sang a Patsy Cline breakup song, where Harry commented, "You're talkin' about leaving, and I'm like, I know! I can't move!" And just as she's leaving, Keith asks what else she has up her sleeve of tricks. "I have a Taser," she replies instantly, deadpan.
Sylvia the Talker from Georgia was hysterical. And that was some LOUD YODELING. Also, the intro of inspiring stories was just perfect. I was like, "Hey, yeah, I remember him! And her! Hey, there's Lazaro! He was great!" And then Ryan's voiceover, "This next contestant....isn't any of those things." They rejected her really politely, though; Keith was like, "I love your accent, I could listen to you tell stories all day." "My favorite part of when she talked about the show goat Jim," Harry added after she'd left.
Shevonne was okay, not great.
Kory Wheeler was a no from me, but they let him through.
Lauren was a definite no for me, her voice was just too weak. But the judges singing the Laverne & Shirley theme song was pretty awesome.
Going back to Atlanta, Joshua Wicker wasn't my style of music, but he was okay. His pregnant wife meeting Harry was a nice story. He was "compelling," according to Keith, and JayLo said that his voice had "a lot of pretty colors in it."
Jordan & Alex Sasser were....interesting. They were husband and wife, with their little daughter, and she played a pink ukelele. It was a little too fast, but kind of catchy. The song was Bruno Mars, "Count On Me", I think it's called? What Mrs. Boyer and Jed based the SGYC Camp Song on. Keith thought it was "too light, everything seemed to be just on the surface." He was too Broadway, and singing Celine Dion? Really? They let him through, not her. That led to some wedded drama afterwards.
Going back to Denver, there was this painfully earnest homeschooled guy named Kerry whose mom died of cancer. It was fine, I guess, but a no from me. And he was weird looking. JayLo said that his performance was "kind of quirky, but also kind of dark and a little scary." Yet they let him through anyway. Really, guys?
Alabama Shelbie was an irritating hairdresser. She did Carrie's "Last Name". It wasn't terrible, but she was SHOUTING SO MUCH. It was just far too LOUD.... But they let her through.
Kanye West surprising the judges was entertaining.
Next was Josiah Siska the Golf Cart Driver singing Johnny Cash; he did really well. Harry added sound effects to the performance, which was funny. And then the guy's mom asked him to sing a Beauty and the Beast song in the car on the way home, which was perfect. (That's a great movie. I need to watch it again.)
Lindita the personal trainer wasn't my style of music, but she sounded fine. I was okay with the judges letting her though; Trevor squawked at this decision. Also, I don't really care if you have lost a ton of weight in your inspiring journey to the audition room or whatever....but they do need some of those types of stories to fill space.
Keith hopping in place to reduce stiffness was really hilarious. And his "Do you think this would be distracting?" And then Harry was being an intimidating statue in the corner and JayLo lounged on the table. Billy Bob the hillbilly was a good colorful contestant, but they were totally right, his voice was way too inconsistent to advance. But he could play guitar. And singing Waylon Jennings was a cool touch.
Lee Jean was a friendly teenager from New Orleans, and he was pretty good. He did an Ed Sheeran song, and he can play guitar really well, too! I was glad he advanced.
The show then shifted to Denver, where our first Colorado contestant was Jeneve Rose Mitchell, a cowgirl who lives on a ranch without electricity. Idol is about the only show they watch, and they fire up a generator to power the TV. Her voice wasn't that great, but it was decent. And it's really rare that you see someone play a cello. Especially a bluegrass cello, while singing. It made for a bewildering rendition of The Band Perry's "Chainsaw", but it was a pleasant type of strangeness. (Unlike this bluegrass version of Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead", which was bizarrely upbeat.)
Sonika Vaid from Massachusetts did an amazing cover of one of Carrie's early songs And Ryan's comment to her dad was great: "Hey, listen, next time we FaceTime, do your hair."
Joseph Kohlruss from Arizona was awful, and somehow pitiful. But we need those people the audience can laugh at.
Reanna the police officer was really good. And the bit where she handcuffed Harry was really entertaining. She sang a Patsy Cline breakup song, where Harry commented, "You're talkin' about leaving, and I'm like, I know! I can't move!" And just as she's leaving, Keith asks what else she has up her sleeve of tricks. "I have a Taser," she replies instantly, deadpan.
Sylvia the Talker from Georgia was hysterical. And that was some LOUD YODELING. Also, the intro of inspiring stories was just perfect. I was like, "Hey, yeah, I remember him! And her! Hey, there's Lazaro! He was great!" And then Ryan's voiceover, "This next contestant....isn't any of those things." They rejected her really politely, though; Keith was like, "I love your accent, I could listen to you tell stories all day." "My favorite part of when she talked about the show goat Jim," Harry added after she'd left.
Shevonne was okay, not great.
Kory Wheeler was a no from me, but they let him through.
Lauren was a definite no for me, her voice was just too weak. But the judges singing the Laverne & Shirley theme song was pretty awesome.
Going back to Atlanta, Joshua Wicker wasn't my style of music, but he was okay. His pregnant wife meeting Harry was a nice story. He was "compelling," according to Keith, and JayLo said that his voice had "a lot of pretty colors in it."
Jordan & Alex Sasser were....interesting. They were husband and wife, with their little daughter, and she played a pink ukelele. It was a little too fast, but kind of catchy. The song was Bruno Mars, "Count On Me", I think it's called? What Mrs. Boyer and Jed based the SGYC Camp Song on. Keith thought it was "too light, everything seemed to be just on the surface." He was too Broadway, and singing Celine Dion? Really? They let him through, not her. That led to some wedded drama afterwards.
Going back to Denver, there was this painfully earnest homeschooled guy named Kerry whose mom died of cancer. It was fine, I guess, but a no from me. And he was weird looking. JayLo said that his performance was "kind of quirky, but also kind of dark and a little scary." Yet they let him through anyway. Really, guys?
Alabama Shelbie was an irritating hairdresser. She did Carrie's "Last Name". It wasn't terrible, but she was SHOUTING SO MUCH. It was just far too LOUD.... But they let her through.
Kanye West surprising the judges was entertaining.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Books of 2015
I've tried to keep record of some/most of the books I've read over this past year, because that's interesting to look back at. The "for-school" reading is for either The Study of the Novel, Shakespeare, American Lit or Literary Traditions at RSU. There are likely lots of others I missed; but these following are the books I know that I read cover-to-cover this year. They'll be arranged as chronologically as possible within their sections.
NOVELS (AND PLAYS) READ FOR SCHOOL -
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
I haven't read much of Austen yet, but this is my favorite of hers. Everyone else in the class loathed it; but I felt right at home in the early-1800's setting and writing style. Austen was snarky and intelligent, and while she didn't care much for all of society's conventions, she recognized that they were there for a reason.
The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
Kate Chopin was a deeply unhappy single mother in the 1890's with a meager amount of talent and a heck of a lot of pent-up frustration and anger at the world in general. She would occasionally write a nice phrase or sentence by accident, only to realize what she did and erase it with two dreadful sentences to close the paragraph. She would often go on long abstract tangents. Her writing is very vulgar; used in the original Latin sense of commonness. There is nothing extraordinary about it.
About the plot of this book....I really don't care about a married woman having an affair and committing suicide when the man she wants won't agree to run away with her. It's just an extremely painful book to slog through, reading from a Christian perspective as Edna Pontellier's downward spiral continues with nothing to stop or slow it down. I was yelling and pleading with her on every page. Also, it was set in Louisiana, and I don't know French. That didn't help much, either.
A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce
...HELP!!!!!! Joyce takes the stream-of-consciousness style and accelerates it radically; and Stephen Dedalus is kind of a stand-in for Joyce himself, tracking his life up until he finishes the book. It's rather self-aggrandizing and such a headache to read. It also prominently features a ton of references to then-current Irish political affairs, with no explanation.
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This is a wonderful book, in my opinion. Others hate it; there's not much in-between. It is realistic? Very much so; it captures high-end Roaring Twenties life extremely well. Is it sad and rather depressing? Yeah, at times. But it illustrates really well Christ's point in Mark 8:36, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"
Nick Carroway is a terrific narrator, but Daisy Buchanan...I've never been quite sure what I think of her. She's a character, for sure. And she's selfish. And that hurts Nick so much, and us along with him...
The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
The amount of alcohol consumed in this book is simply staggering. Also, Hemingway's journalistic style forces the reader to really search between the lines a lot. Jake Barnes is another fantastic narrator; and Americans in Europe gives a different look at the Roaring Twenties than we usually think of(that's illustrated well in Gatsby).
The Stranger, by Albert Camus
There is absolutely nothing of value to be found anywhere in this book. (And when I say that....) The plot follows an extremely apathetic man named Meursault in North Africa somewhere who commits a murder for no reason and then languishes in prison.
Go Tell It On the Mountain, by James Baldwin
Writers write, and readers read, connecting wherever they can. Sometimes that works better than others. I just couldn't connect to anything in this book, really. It was too urban(Depression-era New York City), and too black(lots of cultural history and bonds that white people don't have), and too Pentecostal. And the protagonist is likely gay, which is strike four. As a character study, it does well, vividly tracing the hurts of three generations, but there really isn't much plot at all. The climax is a likely-false spiritual experience-"conversion" which is even more abstract than Kate Chopin.
Sula, by Toni Morrison
This is....a really strange, weird, and violent book. There some interesting passages about the dynamics of small-town communities when facing trouble, but I certainly wouldn't have read it if I didn't have to.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera
You don't see many novels set in Soviet-occupied countries. The Russians invade Czechoslovakia in the late sixties, and this book follows how a handful of loosely-interconnected people deal with that. It's pretty hard to read, honestly, because it's so bleak. But it's an interesting look at how the Soviet mind worked. And there are a few good passages about the concept of loyalty to country and the love of dogs. And the narrator uses an unusual technique of intruding into the tale to remind us that we're reading a book.
Blankets, by Craig Thompson
Graphic novels take a very specialized skillset. They're hard to read if you're not used to them, though. This is somewhat like Portrait in that it's a fictionalized autobiography, and like Chopin's Edna and Joyce's Stephen, Craig Thompson rejects the church explicitly, believing that it is incompatible with artistic freedom and expression. It's very depressing and I pretty much hated it.
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
I just don't really care much for young-adult fiction. They tend to all run together; first-person POV in a dystopian bleak world without any trace of hope, told by an arrogant and strong-willed female. The ideas behind this series were good; trying to modernize the Roman gladiatorial games and all, but most readers are too dumb, or too ignorant, of history for it to mean anything. I've got tears in my eyes just writing that, but it's true.
Anyway, I don't like Katniss, the book stretches on far too long, the idea of the Hunger Games is awful and sadistic, and the sappiness of the "I don't like either Gale or Peeta...but if I did, which one would it be?" element is way over-the-top and sickening.
Mockingjay is my favorite of the three, mainly because war leaves all unnecessary details out of the way, the role of the media during war is emphasized, and nearly everyone dies at the end because Collins was sick of dealing with the characters.
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
This was set during WWII, so that got my interest. The movie sounded great when it came out; and so for a "choose a novel within the last fifteen years" assignment came up, I considered this as an option. However, with about four days to read and then write an essay, it was simply far too large for that project. (It runs 550-ish pages.) But I'm glad I read it, and at some point I'm probably going to run through it again.
It's narrated by Death; which is weird. But it's about normal Germans during the war, who take in an orphan girl and then hide a young Jewish man. Lots about the power of books and reading that is great. But this is an extremely depressing read; like if you took the faith out of The Hiding Place. The non-chronological timeline was a bit hard to follow at times.
Marvels, by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross
For that same assignment that I read The Hunger Games and The Book Thief, I also read a collection of an early-90's Marvel Comics miniseries called Marvels, retelling the history of superheroes from the perspective of a very ordinary freelance photographer. That's a really cool way to tell a story. And also, it deals with what heroism actually is, our resistance to change, and our fragility as created creatures.
Despite being a graphic novel, it wasn't too hard to read. I'd recommend y'all take a look at it if you can.
Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles
One of the world's foremost tragedies, of the "trying to prevent awful fate brings it about" variety.
A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare
Lots of good quotes in this comedy; and a fairly quick read, for being Shakespeare.
The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare
This was hard to follow. It's a good societal study of the role of women in the late 1500s, but that doesn't necessarily translate into a good play...plus, nearly everyone is pretending to be someone else, so most of the time you have no idea who's actually in the scene.
Medea, by Euripides
...Wow. Talking it over in the hallway with a couple classmates, one of them said, "I really wanted to like it. And I almost did - just, it was so horrible!" I totally agree with that statement.
As You Like It, by William Shakespeare
Not very much plot in this one, but a lot of really good quotes, including the "All the world's a stage" speech.
Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare
This was actually assigned for two courses in back-to-back weeks. So I got a double helping of this one. Which is good, because it's my favorite of his. (The Joss Whedon adaption is really amazing, too.) Benedick and Beatrice are awesome.
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurstson
A feministic tale of a self-centered black woman's life in the early 1920's. (Nothing much good happens to her.) The dialect is well-captured, but I certainly wouldn't have read it on my own.
Henry IV, Part One, by William Shakespeare
One of his histories; there's a civil war, and Prince Hal is a burglar who hangs out in the taverns with the common people.
Henry V, by William Shakespeare
Prince Hal is King of England now; they fight over in France, lots of French people die. Another of those that were dimly remembered from reading through the scripts with the Nolands.
Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
"He was a boy/She was a girl/Can I make it any more obvious?" We all know this story's plot. And I love that opening. (It's from Avril Lavigne's song "Skater Boy".) It's rather a drag to slog through, and possibly Shakespeare's dirtiest writing, which is saying something.
Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler
No. Just "No." Because it's another YA book that's set in a dystopian future about a group of people traveling somewhere; told by an irritating first-person female narrator. And in this case, she also starts a cult. Another on the short list of "novels with absolutely zero admirable qualities", as I called it on Facebook.
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare
The classic tale of revenge. It doesn't end well for anyone. But there are some nice quotes scattered throughout.
So Long a Letter, by Mariama Ba
A widow in an African country called Senegal complains about her life, society and men in a letter to a friend. Contains far more information about Muslim funerals than anybody really cares to know, but there are some good passages about education.
Othello, by William Shakespeare
Iago is a terrific villain. Other than that, this was hard to read.
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
A long and winding account of an extended black family somewhere in the Deep South in the early 1900s. Everyone is pretty dysfunctional, and the narrator is a lesbian.
Daytripper, by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba
This is a graphic novel written by Brazilian twins, following the protagonist's life in nonchronological order, emphasizing that any day he could wind up dead. It's very strange.
Macbeth, by William Shakespeare
Probably my favorite of his tragedies. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe it's the self-doubting aspect.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman
A book-loving seven-year-old English boy in the mid 1960s gets involved in a series of very strange events when he comes under the wings of his neighbors, three witches running a diary farm. There are no rules in fantasy, which is a big reason I don't get these kinds of stories. But this one grows on you.
Trifles, by Susan Glaspell
A short murder-mystery play set in an early 1900s Nebraska farmhouse in the dead of winter. Pretty good, though obscure, script.
A Long Day's Journey Into Night, by Eugene O'Neill
Very autobiographical(and very long) play set entirely within about sixteen hours in the living room of a family of semi-functioning alcoholics and a drug addict in 1912. Depressing. I now get the reference Tony Stark makes to it in Age of Ultron, which is about the only upside. Oceans of stage directions are included in the script, making for an even longer read.
The Tempest, by William Shakespeare
This is just strange and hard to define, but I really enjoyed it. And I think it was probably where a lot of the plot for The Little Mermaid came from(aside from Hans Christian Andersen's story, of course).
The Strange Library, by Haruki Murakami
This book's design is a nightmare. If you have to puzzle out for five minutes just to figure out how to open it, that doesn't bode well. And then with the closest equivalent being Alice in Wonderland in terms of story....yeesh. A boy is kidnapped by a cannibalistic librarian and jailed for a month, with his only companions being a man wearing the skin of a sheep and a possibly-invisible mute girl. Weird things happen.
A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams
Bruce Banner says it best. Where to begin....the set sounds like a nightmare to build, there's lots of piano music for no reason in the stage directions, and the characters are all detestable. A intolerable lady moves in for the summer with her sister and brother-in-law; the neighbors are just as bad as they are, and it ends with a rape. And then everyone is OKAY WITH IT?!!!
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
I hate Steinbeck possibly even more than Dickens. Nothing much happens until a handicapped guy accidentally kills someone, and then he gets shot at the end.
FICTION -
Hepatica Hawks, by Rachel Field
One of those 1930's moral coming-of-age stories along the lines of Lucy Maud Montgomery or someone like that; except this one follows a traveling freakshow, which adds a really interesting element. This book will leave you thinking for a while after reading it.
Batter Up!, by Nate Aaseng
A middle-schooler learns about prayer during a rough baseball season.
Tournament Upstart, by Thomas J. Dygard
This book is basically Hoosiers, except the time covered is a single weekend, the setting is the Arkansas state tournament, and it was published a handful of years before the movie came out.
The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
As the narrator's dad describes it in the introduction, this novel has "True love. Revenge. Adventure. Pirates. Good men. Bad men. Beatifulest ladies. Sword fights. Magic." READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
One of my All-Time Favorite First-Person Narratives Ever Written. This is such a wonderful book, it's hard to describe. Something about Scout's narration style, plus the narrative distance, and then Atticus, Jem, Dill and Miss Maudie...So much to chew over!
The Hundred and One Dalmatians, by Dodie Smith.
This is what the animated Disney movie was based on, and then the 1996 live-action remake, and to a larger extent, the late-90's Saturday morning cartoon series. The book is by far the best of all those, followed by the cartoon series.
Great Stories of O. Henry
A collection of some of the best of William Sydney Porter. Terrific.
O. Henry's Short Stories
Another collection of wonderful tales.
The Cemetery Club, by Blanche Manos and Barbara Burgess
Blanche was my grandma's best friend, so in a way, it was like spending some time with Mimi again, reading this book. I wouldn't have ever come close to reading it if Blanche hadn't written it, but it was nice for a cozy mystery written by an old lady who's taught school for most of her life.
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
I dislike sci-fi, especially dystopian sci-fi, almost as much as YA. But I loved this book. Not because it was all that good by itself; I mean, it was a sci-fi book set in a dystopian world. No; more because the author loves books and reading, and knows full well how powerful storytelling can be, and the moral of the story is to keep that love of reading alive; because if we don't, then all these horrible consequences will follow. The scary thing is, he was right on a lot of that. I once read a quote of his(before reading this book) that said the only people who are allowed to write sci-fi are the crazy ones(Star Wars novels and fanfic in general) and the people who are trying to save humanity from itself.
Peril at End House, by Agatha Christie
This one is not one of her best. Of the late fifties/early sixties "I'm cranking something out for the publishers because they're demanding me to" variety.
Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger
This was a very strange novel, but worth reading, and it was good. It's set in North Dakota, of all places, in the winter of 1962-63, as a single father and his two younger children search in an Airstream trailer for the oldest son, on the run from the authorities after accidentally murdering someone.
Jane of Lantern Hill, by Lucy Maud Montgomery
This was one of her last books, and you can tell. It's fairly boring, except for several passages about the importance of stories(both secular and in the Bible), and the magic and secrets of old houses.
Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton
This was a great book. I might actually buy it. The movie was much scarier, but the book goes into a lot more detail, like long conversations on the collapse of science and the failures of the university system. And on page 80, Dr. Ian Malcolm has a great quote: "Isn't it amazing? In the information society, expected to banish paper, but what we actually banished was thought." (See Bradbury's paraphrased quote above.)
Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
First, this book is 1,039 pages. Second, it's very hard to read at times, because of how hard the war is and everything. And Scarlett makes lots of decisions with no good sides. But I enjoyed it a lot, and will definitely reread it at some point.
The Ordinary Princess, by M.M. Kaye
This is a completely straighfoward, unironical, fairy tale. A fairy tale that is about a princess who is extremely ordinary. And it's amazing.
Once On a Time, by A.A. Milne
The author said of this story, "You will either like this book, or you won't. It's that kind of book." It deals mainly with how easy it is to deceive people to keep society running smoothly, so that's different than most fairy tales.
Death in Berlin, by M.M. Kaye
Not quite Agatha Christie, but pretty close. She was surrounded by military men all her life(her grandpa, dad, brothers and husband), so she traveled a lot, so it's fitting that this novel is set among military men who move a lot. It's also set in 1952, so the war is still very, very fresh in everyone's mind.
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
This was unpleasant. But I was glad I read it. It's a lot like George Orwell's 1984 that way. And like Fahrenheit 451, it presents an alarmingly accelerated version of where our society could end up. Borrowed this from the DeSpains.
The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis
If Brave New World made me uncomfortable because of what's going on in society, rereading Screwtape reminded me all too well that I'm a sinful human.
The Secret Adversary, by Agatha Christie
Tommy and Tuppence make a great team. Plus it's just a really fun read. Young twentysomethings just back from a war get involved by accident with international espionage.
Grave Shift, by Blanche Manos and Barbara Burgess
The second of Blanche's cozy mysteries; even harder to take seriously.
Best Left Buried, by Blanche Manos and Barbara Burgess
These characters drink coffee as much as Hemingway's drink alcohol....it's crazy. Also, there was no way I could take this one very seriously. But sometimes those are nice.
Chasing the Wind, by Robert Elmer
This is the fifth of an eight-book series about the adventures of 12-year-old Danish twins and their best friend during/just after WWII. In this one, they get kidnapped by a rogue Nazi submarine hauling lost treasure to Brazil. It was reread as research for a project me and my writing partner Ashland were working on.
Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare
I think this is my favorite of his plays; because of the insults slung between characters, especially Benedick and Beatrice. Shakespeare's still rather hard to understand sometimes, though. (Note: After studying about a third of his plays the next semester, it gets easier.)
Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee
This was the parent of Mockingbird; and it shows. The third-person narration is clunky and characters aren't as well developed, but there are flashes of greatness which led to her completely overhauling the story as Mockingbird, which flew to dizzying heights of success. It was pretty good, but not great. There was a lot of controversy about whether it ought to be published or not, which I haven't quite made up my mind about.
N or M?, by Agatha Christie
Another fantastic Tommy and Tuppence adventure, set during WWII, so that makes it even more fun.
Christy, by Catherine Marshall
The author fictionalized her mother's first year as a missionary schoolteacher in the hills of Eastern Tennessee. It drags on a bit, and I disliked the ending, but overall it was a good story. Felt like a cross between Lucy Maud Montgomery and Harold Bell Wright(Shepherd of the Hills) stylistically, which was good.
The Christmas Puppy, by Roberta Grobel Inrater, illustrated by Bruce McNally
The tale of a mischief-loving tan-and-white puppy named Tina, and the joy she brings to her family and a homeless guy named Sam. Terrific, quick, laugh-inducing and heartbreaking read.
The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson
Transmogrifiers! Hopeless attempts at playing baseball! Calvin pretending to be an elephant! Philosophizing while riding a death-wagon down a steep murderous hill! Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson
More transmogrifying! Dinosaurs! The beginnings of Calvinball! Expressions of surprise! Susie Derkins!
Julie, by Catherine Marshall
Yeccch! Overly flowery, none of the characters feel honest, so it's impossible to care about anyone. This book was written with A Moral In Mind - that the church ought to do more to serve the needs of less-fortunate people. Also, she was an old lady the time she wrote this, and so she crammed her teenage biography into the story. And then she died, and her husband/editor didn't want to change too much about it. Would've been better if he had.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling
After two weeks as an English major, I realized something: There was at least one Harry Potter reference in class every day. Figured I ought to reread the first one, if not go through the whole thing, so I'd have some idea of the references. Still didn't like it.
Shane, by Jack Schaefer
Easily the best Western I've ever read, on the short list of my favorite first-person narratives.
The Lost World, by Michael Crichton
More dinosaurs! More tension! A couple more interesting passages about today's society to think about! Worth reading, though nowhere near as good as the original.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling
This book is really self-conscious about being a sequel. And Rowling's style is clunky, and I guessed most of the major plot points miles ahead of the characters. (I like Hermione, though.) But she does have a good way of depicting things in snappy ways. ("Mrs. So-and-So looked exactly like an underfed vulture.").
Come Rain or Come Shine, by Jan Karon
This fourteenth Mitford book deals with the stress and mayhem of planning a wedding....this time of Dooley and Lace. Mitford is a wonderful place to visit.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling
More of the same, this time with time travel involved. Yawn. (Hermione is still the best character.)
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
This was written by a Tulsa teenager in the mid-sixties. It's set in Tulsa, about social-class warfare. And then in the early eighties was made into a movie starring Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez and Tom Cruise. I liked it, and need to see the movie now.
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
Possibly the saddest book ever written. But one of the most wonderful first-person narratives ever written. Because love is like that. And dogs are special. Set in/outside Tahlequah, which earns MAJOR bonus points.
The Christmas Doll, by Elvira Woodruff
Two orphan girls try to stay alive on the cold streets of Victorian London. It's a book about hope, family, and soldiering on to get through the day. From a technical standpoint probably not the greatest thing ever written, but it is a really good book.
Star Wars: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, by James Luceno
The title is pretty self-explanatory...the story picks up right after Revenge of the Sith ends, in the earliest days of the Empire.
The Shakespeare Stealer, by Gary Blackwood
A young orphan named Widge is tasked with stealing the script of Hamlet, only to discover the power and joy that comes with acting.
Shakespeare's Scribe, by Gary Blackwood
Widge is now an apprentice with the Lord Chamberlain's Men; and after Mr. Shakespeare breaks his hand, he helps with writing the new play All's Well That Ends Well. More good passages on acting and that gray area between truth, falsehood and fiction.
Prey, by Michael Crichton
Nanotech robot insects terrorize a secret compound in the Nevada desert.
The Maze Runner, by James Dashner
Ashland has been after me for months to read this when I get the chance(those are the best kind of friends), and I finally found it in the Okmulgee library. It was really good for being a YA novel. All these teenage boys are trapped inside a gigantic maze with their only memories being their names. And then a girl shows up through the mysterious elevator.
The Light that Failed, by Rudyard Kipling
This is a story about two orphans who fall in love and grow up to be artists. So of course life won't be easy. The copy I read we found at a book sale, and it was so old that there was no copyright information.
Sphere, by Michael Crichton
My least favorite of his that I've read, because being stuck a thousand feet beneath the Pacific Ocean isn't too fun.
PICTURE BOOKS -
With an eight-year-old sister, that leads to lots of picture-book-reading. These will NOT be chronological, just whatever order I pulled them off the shelf.
Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown, pictures by Felicia Bond
A quick survey of the farm, with wonderful, bright illustrations. This is a good one.
Mice At Bat, story and pictures by Kelly Oechsli
In this picture book for early on-their-own readers, the mice that live and do janitorial work at the baseball stadium hold a championship game of their own one night. If you like baseball and personified animals, it offers an interesting idea(though not done as well as Leonard Kessler).
Paul Bunyan Finds a Wife, by Adele deLeeuw, pictures by Ted Schroeder
Tall tales are awesome. Especially when tall-tale legends get married; the teamwork adds to even greater, more ludicrous exploits.
The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
"...and the Tree was happy." This book is one of the best examples of friendship and sacrificial love that I can think of.
Are You My Mother?, by P.D. Eastman
His drawings are amazing.
The Best Nest, by P.D. Eastman
I don't much like either Mr. or Mrs. Bird, but I love the way they're drawn.
Go, Dog, Go!, by P.D. Eastman
There isn't much of a story in this one. Mostly a bunch of isolated pictures of dogs doing anthropomorphic things like wielding jackhammers, riding roller coasters and getting in car wrecks. It's one of my favorite picture books of all time.
The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Stephen Gammell
Anything Rylant is automatically awesome. This story tells about the visit of extended family.
Amelia Bedelia, by Peggy Parish, pictures by Fritz Siebel
This one isn't all that funny, but you had to start somewhere with a housekeeper that takes everything literally....
Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia!, by Peggy Parish, pictures by Lynn Sweat
There we go, Lynn Sweat's drawings are what we're used to seeing when we meet Amelia Bedelia. And as a substitute schoolteacher, things predictably don't go as planned. Hilarity ensues.
Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia!, by Peggy Parish, pictures by Wallace Tripp
Amelia Bedelia has to learn to play baseball to help the Grizzlies win their game against the Tornadoes. It's great. Mimi and Nano used to read it to me a lot.
The Great Corgiville Kidnapping, by Tasha Tudor
This is one of the best picture books nobody's ever heard of. It has a great world you want to live in for a while, filled with references to Julia Child, creative editing of angry swearing, and jokes about Nova Scotian raccoons. Plus amazing illustrations. AND it's a mystery/adventure!
The Scrambled States of America, by Laurie Keller
Laurie Keller is one of my all-time favorite picture-book authors and illustrators. And the answer to the question, "What if the states got tired of their neighbors and moved?" is wonderful. GO READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY!
The Scrambled States of America's Talent Show, by Laurie Keller
Really not that necessary....but I'll certainly read it, for another dose of her quirky style of humor and way of phrasing things. (Virginia is a very polite state...)
Open Wide, by Laurie Keller
Most of what I know about teeth comes from this book, which is what she intended, I think. Anyway, it's learning, and great characters, and humor, all wrapped up in one package.
The Year at Maple Hill Farm, written and illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen
Everyone's favorite farm to visit that you've never actually seen. And the drawings were done with Prismacolors!
The Hound From the Pound, by Jessica Swaim, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Odd for a picture book to have British humor, but this is really good.
Frog Trouble, by Sandra Boynton
Boynton's another on my list of all-time favorite picture book author-illustrators, and this one is even better because it's a bunch of songs, sung by Kacey Musgraves, Brad Paisley, Allison Krauss and Josh Turner. (The songs are all hysterical, as you would expect.)
Barn Dance!, by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Ted Rand
This was a Reading Rainbow book; the farm animals hold a square dance while the farmer is asleep. Square dancing is awesome. Personified animals are great, too. Together? It's a good book.
A Pocket for Corduroy, by Don Freeman
I've never much liked Corduroy. I don't know why.
Froggy Goes To Bed, by Jonathan London, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
You know what's going to happen in a Froggy story..but the pictures are really what makes them so enjoyable.
So Many Bunnies, by Rick Walton, pictures by Paige Miglio
One of the best ABC-centered picture books.
Adam Raccoon and Bully Garumph, by Glen Keane
Adam Raccoon was one of those characters that I always associated with Westville and the farm, like Amelia Bedelia or the animals of Wonder Woods. In this story, Adam's having trouble with a big bully that's always making soccer difficult.
More Bunny Trouble, by Hans Wilhem
Another adventure of Ralph the soccer-playing rabbit. Here he has to find his little sister Emily, who's gotten lost. Wonderful pictures.
Big Bad Bunny Trouble, by Hans Wilhem
A gang of foxes are going to ram down the door of the house to eat all the rabbits painting Easter Eggs. Can Ralph, who's been grounded in his room, somehow save them all?
Three Stories You Can Read To Your Cat, by Sara Swan Miller, pictures by True Kelley
Even before I had a cat, I would enjoy reading this. Even before I had a dog I enjoyed reading this. I think I just like reading about animals. And I enjoy second-person narration.
Three Stories You Can Read To Your Dog, by Sara Swan Miller, pictures by True Kelley
From a dog's perspective instead of a cat's, which is just as entertaining.
Mr. Pine's Purple House, by Leonard Kessler
All the houses look the same. (Think John Mellancamp complained about this around the same time.) How's Mr. Pine going to distinguish his from the rest? Leonard Kessler is another of Wesley's All-Time Favorite Picture Book Authors/Illustrators.
Kick, Pass and Run, by Leonard Kessler
The animals discover a football in the woods, learn how the game is played, and then start up a game of their own. SO GREAT!
Super Bowl, by Leonard Kessler
The Animal Champs and the Super Birds are all set for the Super Bowl. Who's gonna win?
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! The First All-Animal Olympics, by Leonard Kessler
The animals find the sports section of a newspaper, discover the Olympic Games, and decide to host their own version.
The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson
A boy grows a carrot plant in his garden, and eventually, with patience, time and loving care, a carrot grows.
Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson
This book's plot could be applied very easily to the process of writing a story.
The Bananas Move To The Ceiling, by Esther and Stephen Manes, illustrated by Barbara Samuels
The Bananas have a serious problem with messiness. So they come up with an....interesting...way of dealing with it.
The Crippled Lamb, by Max Lucado, illustrated by Liz Bonham
One of my favorites. There's been plenty of times I've felt like Joshua; especially as I've gotten older. This is just a wonderful story; a wonderful way of looking at the miracle of Christ's birth. And when I'm reading it to myself I always hear it narrated by Trinnica, because during AWANAS one Wednesday night at Southside she read it to a bunch of us.
Paw Paw Chuck's Big Ideas From the Bible, by Charles R. Swindoll, illustrated by Ross Vera
A bunch of the best-known(and best-loved) Bible stories, told at an introductory level, in order for them to stick. This is an amazing book.
The Goat ABCs, by Patricia Polacco
A goat-centered ABC book. Great illustrations.
Big Dog, Little Dog, by P.D. Eastman
Two friends argue over everything, and neither can get a good night's sleep while on vacation at the ski slopes. Plus more wonderful Eastman illustrations!
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss
Everyone knows this story.
NONFICTION -
Once Upon a Town, by Bob Greene
A journalist inserts himself into his account of researching a remarkable community project during WWII by a small city in southwest Nebraska. It's an amazing book, simply because of the morale raised during the war and the sacrifices of those both on the front lines and back on the homefront.
Love Stories of World War II, collected by Larry King
The style these were written in was yawn-inducing, but many of the situations themselves, or characters involved, looked like terrific material to steal for a story. So for that reason, it was a good book.
The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
One of the most useful tools for writing well in print. Consult it often.
Mooring Against the Tide, by Jeff Knorr and Tim Schnell
Okay, this was a Creative Writing textbook, so I kind of had to read it at least eight times through cover-to-cover during the spring semester. But it was very instructive on the mechanics of poetry; how to write it, what it is, that kind of thing.
Adventures in the Screen Trade, by William Goldman
A sort-of-behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood, and comments about life and storytelling. (This book was published five years before The Princess Bride was released to theaters. The book had been out for ten years.)
Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade, by William Goldman
The sequel, written eighteen years after the first. More of the same type of material as the first. (Goldman is a fantastic writer.)
When Your World Falls Apart, by David Jeremiah
This was good. Lots of in-depth study of the Psalms, which are fairly easy to skip over and forget they exist. His attitude was basically, "Hey, life is hard. It's part of the way the world is, because of the Fall. But somehow that's part of God's plan. So keep fighting."
Caught Up in a Story, by Sarah Clarkson
This lady's writing was terribly clunky, but I loved her ideas. I just wished she could have expressed them better....It basically says that children need to be brought up immersed in stories(which is pretty much how I grew up, so I'm biased, but...)
Reagan: The Hollywood Years, by Marc Eliot
This was really interesting to read. Not just because Reagan was a good man to study, or because the studio-system era of moviemaking was fascinating(and unfair), but because of the author's thinking that sure, we all know about Reagan the president. But in order to understand Reagan the president, we have to find out how he became that man as Reagan the actor.
Ian Fleming: The Man Behind James Bond, by Andrew Lycett
This was very disappointing. It was extremely British, meaning full of high-class snobbishness. That could have been easily overcome, though; Fleming lived as those walls were coming down. (He was only about fifteen years younger than Agatha Christie.) But no; the author must give the life history of every single person who ever came into contact with Fleming at any point in his lifetime... I only plowed through because it's awful to leave books half-finished. Also, nowhere is there any explanation whatsoever for British academic terms or athletic awards.that played a role in schoolboy days. (If Laura Hillenbrand had been writing this, though...oh, well.) Anyway, Fleming was a very strange man, and his books are much more interesting than he was.
Say Goodnight, Gracie! The Story of Burns and Allen, by Cheryl Blythe and Susan Sackett
If I would've known anything about them before reading this book, it would have been better. George Burns and Gracie Allen were almost as famous as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, it seems. And their humor likely influenced the writers of The Dick Van Dyke Show and Parks and Recreation, among others.
Kids Say the Darndest Things, by Art Linkletter
Humorous quotes and exchanges from Art Linkletter's TV and radio shows.
Blogging For Writers, by Robin Houghton
This was somewhat useful; resulting in minor tweaks to both of my blogs. If I could invest more time to create a full WordPress website, it would be very useful. Bought at the Successful Writer Conference.
A Writer's Survival Guide to Getting Published, by Terry Burns
This was an expansion of a talk given at the conference by a friendly old guy now working as an agent, and it's basically "These are the rules to follow in order to have a decent chance at getting published." Extremely helpful.
Writing in Obedience: A Primer for Christian Fiction Writers, by Terry Burns and Linda Yezak
Besides knowing the rules for surviving the way to possibly getting published; as Christians, we have a separate set of rules to follow for life in general, and when life-rules and writing-rules seem to come into conflict, it's hard to know how to react. Self-promotion doesn't seem like being humble, for example. So this book basically says, "Hey, so we're assuming you're a believer. Do you like writing? Then write. Do you feel like that's what God has gifted you with the skills to do? Then write! The Lord's sovereign over everything, right? He'll get your work to the people that need to read it. You just write, and see what he has planned." Very encouraging.
The Very Best Baby Name Book in the Whole Wide World, collected by Bruce Lansky
That title sums it up. Baby-name books are extremely necessary resources for writers, and this is the best ever. Characters need the perfect name in order to get to know them, because that's usually the first thing we learn about a stranger. Everything else follows from that information.
Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and his Revolutionary Comic Strip, by Nevin Martell
Realizing just now that that is a very long subtitle. Anyway, this was a very unusual biography. It was written kind of like Bob Greene's Once Upon a Town, in that the author inserted himself tracking the story as a character in the story. Also, Watterson is so private and reclusive that he provided no help whatsoever, and neither did his brother. His mother helped out a little bit at the end, though. Anyway, it was a good book. And only an unusual man could create a comic strip as brilliant as Calvin and Hobbes.
How To Read a Book, by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
This was very informative. By their standards, I probably am not very well-versed at reading. (Mostly I read fiction, or biographies. Very little for attaining new information.) I did wonder how much to trust it, though; being that it was co-written by Charles Van Doren, of the 1950's Quiz Show Scandal....
Keeping Our Children's Hearts, by Steve and Teri Maxwell
From the "Read whatever your fingers land on" category. Sure, the Maxwells were one of the early homeschooling families, especially when it comes to the Internet, but THEY WERE REALLY UPTIGHT. Like, you think of all those homeschooling cliches, realize they must have come from somewhere, and just cringe. Their motives were probably good, but the book seemed like a bunch of advice from a houseful of obsessively overprotective weirdos. And who wants that? (Said by someone who occasionally reads and enjoys No Greater Joy magazine...)
Altar Ego, by Craig Groeschel
Yecch. It might have just been presentation, or something, but this was pretty bad. Very "RAH-RAH-RAH! Isn't being a Christian GREAT?! Hey, did you see how humble I was being right there?" My response was more like, "Great, dude....can you go serve Jesus somewhere very far away from where I am right now?"
Parenting Today's Adolescent, by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
Not sure why I picked this one up; it was just sitting on the shelf and I grabbed something randomly. I agreed with most of what it said; though not everything. Anyway, might be useful to know for if I'm ever a parent.
Church Membership, by Jonathan Leeman
Very interesting, if a rather strange topic. One of those T4G books that always look worth reading. Read just after the announcement of a possible church merger, because I was curious about what it would say. It confirmed that I probably ought to study the book of Acts some more.
No Plot? No Problem! How to Write a Low-Stress, High-Velocity Novel in 30 Days, by Chris Baty
This guy is crazy.That title says it all. He started a movement of complete novel-writing in a month. Perfect for those people who've "always meant to write something, one of these days..." He's also really fun, in an off-the-wall manner. (FYI: It's really, really hard to try a NaNoWriMo project. But everyone should try it, preferably multiple times.)
Burning Bush 2.0: How Pop Culture Replaced the Prophet, by Paul Asay
Basically, this book says that God speaks to us through our entertainment, which can be seen in our love of stories and ability to create them. And how to sort out those messages that God's trying to tell us from the humans who "rather mucked it up", as Peggy Carter says in The Winter Soldier. It's the kind of book I'd like to write someday.
Strengthening Your Grip. by Charles R. Swindoll
Kind of reaffirming the principles to stand upon as a foundation in a sand-based world. Pretty good.
How To Have A 48-Hour Day, by Don Aslett
"These are the attitudes and some tips to get more done faster and more effectively!" Brought to you by the world's most famous and most successful janitor.
How To Survive Your Freshman Year, edited by Mark W. Bernstein and Yadin Kaufmann
A collection of advice for how to survive your freshman year of college. Some of it's useful, some not.
The Path to Home, by Edgar Guest
A collection of Guest's poems, which is terrific.
When Day is Done, by Edgar Guest
Another poetry collection.
The Friendly Way, by Edgar Guest
Another collection of verse from one of the best poets of the 20th century.
The Mind's Eye, by Kevin Clark
This was a textbook for Poetry Writing, I disagreed with most of its ideas and thought the rest were mostly unintelligible or unhelpful. But I'm old-fashioned when it comes to poetry, so that explains it. We barely even used it, so it didn't really matter. Maybe I'll do some of the exercises when bored sometime and like it better.
The Hidden Life of Dogs, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
The comedy-drama of the life of one pack, as written by their scientifically-minded owner. Funny, interesting and sad at times, it was one of those "good books pulled from Okmulgee library book sale" finds. It would make a really great springboard for a Meerkat Manor type of fiction piece.
When God Doesn't Make Sense, by James Dobson
Sometimes He doesn't. And so we just have to try to trust that He knows what He's doing. Very good book.
Flannery O'Connor and the Christ-Haunted South, by Ralph C. Wood
She was an odd writer, but I kind of like her stuff. And this was written in a near-intolerably dull academic manner, but it was okay, overall. I read it for research on an American Lit essay.
Shakespeare and Masculinity, by Bruce R. Smith
A book I blazed through while researching an essay for Lit Traditions. It was very academic; but might be worthwhile if I had more time to study it. It kind of dealt with what it meant for Shakespeare's characters to be masculine.
The Gospel According to Peanuts, by Robert L. Short
This quick read was good example of the "How to Mine Pop Culture in Order to Witness to the World" style of evangelism. It's not a perfect book; because it was written by a human. But in general, it's good. (Also, I think this was the first book to take that approach specifically.)
Chicken Soup for the College Student's Soul, collected by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger and Dave Clark
Inspirational and encouraging anecdotes and scenes of college living. It's a formula, sure. But man, does it work well.
Concerning Cats, by Helen M. Winslow
This wonderful 1900 book is by a cat-lover for cat-lovers everywhere, and if you aren't one you will wonder why such a book needs to exist. But then, you are likely "one of those people that not only dislikes cats, but thinks it is a special virtue to dislike them", as Lucy Maud Montgomery said in The Blue Castle. For the rest of us, it's a pawfect treasure.
Maud: The Life of L.M. Montgomery, by Harry Bruce
This was a very well-written biography. About the only complaint I had was that it wasn't long enough.
Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography, by David Michaelis
Charles Schulz was a very complicated man. This biography was extremely well-researched; though at 565 pages can feel too large sometimes. The creator of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and everybody else reminded me a lot of myself...which was uncomfortable. And it's weird to be preached at by a biography.
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, by Scott McCloud
A very comprehensive deconstruction of how comics work, and explanation of how each of the elements involved plays a role in helping the audience understand the story.
A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition, by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez
A behind-the-scenes look at some of what went into creating the very first Peanuts television special.
Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton
Kind of a spiritual biography, as he calls it. Very good read(look at "The Ethics of Elfland" especially.)
The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites, by Libby H. O'Connell
A history of America through quick snapshot sketches of popular foods which were culturally significant in some way. The author works for the History Channel.
Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street, by Michael Davis
Somehow this guy made a history of something as colorful and energetic as Sesame Street read dry as dust. Maybe it's cause only about fifty pages(out of 350-ish) deal with the actual production lifetime of the show. Literally half the book is dull arguments between education professors and various government agencies during preproduction. And while the history of early children's programming was interesting, there was far too much information given in that area.
Yes Please, by Amy Poehler
Well-written sentences and really strange experiences rule about equally in this memoir. Written during the closing days of Parks and Rec, so extra points for that.
The Art of Voice Acting, by James R. Alburger
Basically, an introduction to the business of voice acting. Useful as a beginning textbook in terms of explaining the terms and concepts, now I just need to find more books on the subject.
Saturday Night Live FAQ: Everything Left to Know About Television's Longest-Running Comedy, by Stephen Tropiano
That subtitle pretty much sums it up. A history of the first 38 years of SNL, which makes it(so says the first page) the most recent of the four histories of the show. Reading through descriptions of famous characters and sketches from the late 90's, I was like, "Hey, I know that character! And that! And that catchphrase! How do I remember these?" And then I was all, "Oh, yeah....duh. Mom and Dad were youth pastors; and you always hung out with the cool teenagers." Anyway, it was a neat read.
You Can Write Greeting Cards, by Karen Ann Moore
A step-by-step explanation of the process of writing for greeting-card companies, specifically freelancing. It was published in 1999, so a lot of the info is too dated to be helpful, but it was interesting.
A Brief History of Anxiety - Yours and Mine, by Patricia Pearson
Traces both the concept of severe anxiety in society throughout history and her own struggles with dealing with off-the-wall fears and problems with antidepressant medications. It was interesting.
The Spiritual Discipline of Discernment, by Tim Challies
His first book, explaining what discernment is and why it's so important in the Christian life.
Christmas Songs and Their Stories, by Herbert H. Wernecke
Mom found this 1952 book at the Okmulgee library; it was fine, but not that great. I think the intended audience was choir directors. Two-thirds of the hymns I had never heard of.
Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life, by Douglas Wilson
A useful book on writing tips and suggestions for how to live in a way that will improve your writing, which is just one facet of your life.
Playwriting Brief and Brilliant, by Julie Jensen
This was a textbook for Dr. Blakely's scriptwriting course for Spring 2016, I got a jump on studying for it while on break. It didn't seem particularly helpful yet, but maybe that'll change. I do really like the author's name, though. I might swipe it for a character at some point.
Apples and Chalkdust, by Vicki Caruana
An encouragement gift book for teachers.
When You Rise Up: A Covenental Approach to Homeschooling, by R.C. Sproul Jr
The ideas behind this book on education are good, I guess....but it really just feels like you're being preached at the whole time. That's not much fun to read.
Kids Say the Darndest Things, by Bill Cosby
Apparently there was a remake of that series during the 90's with Bill Cosby as host? Anyway, this one wasn't as good as the original. Society became much more cynical from the 50's to the 90's. And Cosby tries to add clever reactions on top of the quotes.
Too Wise to Be Mistaken, Too Good to Be Unkind, by Cathy Steere
Mom got this on sale at Mardel thinking about giving it to Dayla, so I ran through it to see if she should maybe do that. This was a well-written account of a mother's realization that her son has autism, and how they dealt with that. Plus, it was published by Grace & Truth Books!
How NOT to Write a Screenplay, by Denny Martin Flinn
This was the other textbook for Dr. Blakely's Script Writing course that I was reading ahead for.
American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms, by Chris Kyle and William Doyle
This was an extremely readable history of guns. It was really cool, and interesting to learn about a subject I wasn't too familiar with. Plus history is awesome in any format or type.
Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America, by Leslie Knope (likely really created by the staff writers of Parks and Recreation)
Fantastic. Literally the best book written by a fictional character that I have ever read.
Felines of New York, by Jim Tews
I got this as a Christmas present for Courtney. It's pretty great.
NOVELS (AND PLAYS) READ FOR SCHOOL -
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
I haven't read much of Austen yet, but this is my favorite of hers. Everyone else in the class loathed it; but I felt right at home in the early-1800's setting and writing style. Austen was snarky and intelligent, and while she didn't care much for all of society's conventions, she recognized that they were there for a reason.
The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
Kate Chopin was a deeply unhappy single mother in the 1890's with a meager amount of talent and a heck of a lot of pent-up frustration and anger at the world in general. She would occasionally write a nice phrase or sentence by accident, only to realize what she did and erase it with two dreadful sentences to close the paragraph. She would often go on long abstract tangents. Her writing is very vulgar; used in the original Latin sense of commonness. There is nothing extraordinary about it.
About the plot of this book....I really don't care about a married woman having an affair and committing suicide when the man she wants won't agree to run away with her. It's just an extremely painful book to slog through, reading from a Christian perspective as Edna Pontellier's downward spiral continues with nothing to stop or slow it down. I was yelling and pleading with her on every page. Also, it was set in Louisiana, and I don't know French. That didn't help much, either.
A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce
...HELP!!!!!! Joyce takes the stream-of-consciousness style and accelerates it radically; and Stephen Dedalus is kind of a stand-in for Joyce himself, tracking his life up until he finishes the book. It's rather self-aggrandizing and such a headache to read. It also prominently features a ton of references to then-current Irish political affairs, with no explanation.
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This is a wonderful book, in my opinion. Others hate it; there's not much in-between. It is realistic? Very much so; it captures high-end Roaring Twenties life extremely well. Is it sad and rather depressing? Yeah, at times. But it illustrates really well Christ's point in Mark 8:36, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"
Nick Carroway is a terrific narrator, but Daisy Buchanan...I've never been quite sure what I think of her. She's a character, for sure. And she's selfish. And that hurts Nick so much, and us along with him...
The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
The amount of alcohol consumed in this book is simply staggering. Also, Hemingway's journalistic style forces the reader to really search between the lines a lot. Jake Barnes is another fantastic narrator; and Americans in Europe gives a different look at the Roaring Twenties than we usually think of(that's illustrated well in Gatsby).
The Stranger, by Albert Camus
There is absolutely nothing of value to be found anywhere in this book. (And when I say that....) The plot follows an extremely apathetic man named Meursault in North Africa somewhere who commits a murder for no reason and then languishes in prison.
Go Tell It On the Mountain, by James Baldwin
Writers write, and readers read, connecting wherever they can. Sometimes that works better than others. I just couldn't connect to anything in this book, really. It was too urban(Depression-era New York City), and too black(lots of cultural history and bonds that white people don't have), and too Pentecostal. And the protagonist is likely gay, which is strike four. As a character study, it does well, vividly tracing the hurts of three generations, but there really isn't much plot at all. The climax is a likely-false spiritual experience-"conversion" which is even more abstract than Kate Chopin.
Sula, by Toni Morrison
This is....a really strange, weird, and violent book. There some interesting passages about the dynamics of small-town communities when facing trouble, but I certainly wouldn't have read it if I didn't have to.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera
You don't see many novels set in Soviet-occupied countries. The Russians invade Czechoslovakia in the late sixties, and this book follows how a handful of loosely-interconnected people deal with that. It's pretty hard to read, honestly, because it's so bleak. But it's an interesting look at how the Soviet mind worked. And there are a few good passages about the concept of loyalty to country and the love of dogs. And the narrator uses an unusual technique of intruding into the tale to remind us that we're reading a book.
Blankets, by Craig Thompson
Graphic novels take a very specialized skillset. They're hard to read if you're not used to them, though. This is somewhat like Portrait in that it's a fictionalized autobiography, and like Chopin's Edna and Joyce's Stephen, Craig Thompson rejects the church explicitly, believing that it is incompatible with artistic freedom and expression. It's very depressing and I pretty much hated it.
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
I just don't really care much for young-adult fiction. They tend to all run together; first-person POV in a dystopian bleak world without any trace of hope, told by an arrogant and strong-willed female. The ideas behind this series were good; trying to modernize the Roman gladiatorial games and all, but most readers are too dumb, or too ignorant, of history for it to mean anything. I've got tears in my eyes just writing that, but it's true.
Anyway, I don't like Katniss, the book stretches on far too long, the idea of the Hunger Games is awful and sadistic, and the sappiness of the "I don't like either Gale or Peeta...but if I did, which one would it be?" element is way over-the-top and sickening.
Mockingjay is my favorite of the three, mainly because war leaves all unnecessary details out of the way, the role of the media during war is emphasized, and nearly everyone dies at the end because Collins was sick of dealing with the characters.
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
This was set during WWII, so that got my interest. The movie sounded great when it came out; and so for a "choose a novel within the last fifteen years" assignment came up, I considered this as an option. However, with about four days to read and then write an essay, it was simply far too large for that project. (It runs 550-ish pages.) But I'm glad I read it, and at some point I'm probably going to run through it again.
It's narrated by Death; which is weird. But it's about normal Germans during the war, who take in an orphan girl and then hide a young Jewish man. Lots about the power of books and reading that is great. But this is an extremely depressing read; like if you took the faith out of The Hiding Place. The non-chronological timeline was a bit hard to follow at times.
Marvels, by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross
For that same assignment that I read The Hunger Games and The Book Thief, I also read a collection of an early-90's Marvel Comics miniseries called Marvels, retelling the history of superheroes from the perspective of a very ordinary freelance photographer. That's a really cool way to tell a story. And also, it deals with what heroism actually is, our resistance to change, and our fragility as created creatures.
Despite being a graphic novel, it wasn't too hard to read. I'd recommend y'all take a look at it if you can.
Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles
One of the world's foremost tragedies, of the "trying to prevent awful fate brings it about" variety.
A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare
Lots of good quotes in this comedy; and a fairly quick read, for being Shakespeare.
The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare
This was hard to follow. It's a good societal study of the role of women in the late 1500s, but that doesn't necessarily translate into a good play...plus, nearly everyone is pretending to be someone else, so most of the time you have no idea who's actually in the scene.
Medea, by Euripides
...Wow. Talking it over in the hallway with a couple classmates, one of them said, "I really wanted to like it. And I almost did - just, it was so horrible!" I totally agree with that statement.
As You Like It, by William Shakespeare
Not very much plot in this one, but a lot of really good quotes, including the "All the world's a stage" speech.
Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare
This was actually assigned for two courses in back-to-back weeks. So I got a double helping of this one. Which is good, because it's my favorite of his. (The Joss Whedon adaption is really amazing, too.) Benedick and Beatrice are awesome.
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurstson
A feministic tale of a self-centered black woman's life in the early 1920's. (Nothing much good happens to her.) The dialect is well-captured, but I certainly wouldn't have read it on my own.
Henry IV, Part One, by William Shakespeare
One of his histories; there's a civil war, and Prince Hal is a burglar who hangs out in the taverns with the common people.
Henry V, by William Shakespeare
Prince Hal is King of England now; they fight over in France, lots of French people die. Another of those that were dimly remembered from reading through the scripts with the Nolands.
Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
"He was a boy/She was a girl/Can I make it any more obvious?" We all know this story's plot. And I love that opening. (It's from Avril Lavigne's song "Skater Boy".) It's rather a drag to slog through, and possibly Shakespeare's dirtiest writing, which is saying something.
Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler
No. Just "No." Because it's another YA book that's set in a dystopian future about a group of people traveling somewhere; told by an irritating first-person female narrator. And in this case, she also starts a cult. Another on the short list of "novels with absolutely zero admirable qualities", as I called it on Facebook.
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare
The classic tale of revenge. It doesn't end well for anyone. But there are some nice quotes scattered throughout.
So Long a Letter, by Mariama Ba
A widow in an African country called Senegal complains about her life, society and men in a letter to a friend. Contains far more information about Muslim funerals than anybody really cares to know, but there are some good passages about education.
Othello, by William Shakespeare
Iago is a terrific villain. Other than that, this was hard to read.
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
A long and winding account of an extended black family somewhere in the Deep South in the early 1900s. Everyone is pretty dysfunctional, and the narrator is a lesbian.
Daytripper, by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba
This is a graphic novel written by Brazilian twins, following the protagonist's life in nonchronological order, emphasizing that any day he could wind up dead. It's very strange.
Macbeth, by William Shakespeare
Probably my favorite of his tragedies. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe it's the self-doubting aspect.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman
A book-loving seven-year-old English boy in the mid 1960s gets involved in a series of very strange events when he comes under the wings of his neighbors, three witches running a diary farm. There are no rules in fantasy, which is a big reason I don't get these kinds of stories. But this one grows on you.
Trifles, by Susan Glaspell
A short murder-mystery play set in an early 1900s Nebraska farmhouse in the dead of winter. Pretty good, though obscure, script.
A Long Day's Journey Into Night, by Eugene O'Neill
Very autobiographical(and very long) play set entirely within about sixteen hours in the living room of a family of semi-functioning alcoholics and a drug addict in 1912. Depressing. I now get the reference Tony Stark makes to it in Age of Ultron, which is about the only upside. Oceans of stage directions are included in the script, making for an even longer read.
The Tempest, by William Shakespeare
This is just strange and hard to define, but I really enjoyed it. And I think it was probably where a lot of the plot for The Little Mermaid came from(aside from Hans Christian Andersen's story, of course).
The Strange Library, by Haruki Murakami
This book's design is a nightmare. If you have to puzzle out for five minutes just to figure out how to open it, that doesn't bode well. And then with the closest equivalent being Alice in Wonderland in terms of story....yeesh. A boy is kidnapped by a cannibalistic librarian and jailed for a month, with his only companions being a man wearing the skin of a sheep and a possibly-invisible mute girl. Weird things happen.
A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams
Bruce Banner says it best. Where to begin....the set sounds like a nightmare to build, there's lots of piano music for no reason in the stage directions, and the characters are all detestable. A intolerable lady moves in for the summer with her sister and brother-in-law; the neighbors are just as bad as they are, and it ends with a rape. And then everyone is OKAY WITH IT?!!!
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
I hate Steinbeck possibly even more than Dickens. Nothing much happens until a handicapped guy accidentally kills someone, and then he gets shot at the end.
FICTION -
Hepatica Hawks, by Rachel Field
One of those 1930's moral coming-of-age stories along the lines of Lucy Maud Montgomery or someone like that; except this one follows a traveling freakshow, which adds a really interesting element. This book will leave you thinking for a while after reading it.
Batter Up!, by Nate Aaseng
A middle-schooler learns about prayer during a rough baseball season.
Tournament Upstart, by Thomas J. Dygard
This book is basically Hoosiers, except the time covered is a single weekend, the setting is the Arkansas state tournament, and it was published a handful of years before the movie came out.
The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
As the narrator's dad describes it in the introduction, this novel has "True love. Revenge. Adventure. Pirates. Good men. Bad men. Beatifulest ladies. Sword fights. Magic." READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
One of my All-Time Favorite First-Person Narratives Ever Written. This is such a wonderful book, it's hard to describe. Something about Scout's narration style, plus the narrative distance, and then Atticus, Jem, Dill and Miss Maudie...So much to chew over!
The Hundred and One Dalmatians, by Dodie Smith.
This is what the animated Disney movie was based on, and then the 1996 live-action remake, and to a larger extent, the late-90's Saturday morning cartoon series. The book is by far the best of all those, followed by the cartoon series.
Great Stories of O. Henry
A collection of some of the best of William Sydney Porter. Terrific.
O. Henry's Short Stories
Another collection of wonderful tales.
The Cemetery Club, by Blanche Manos and Barbara Burgess
Blanche was my grandma's best friend, so in a way, it was like spending some time with Mimi again, reading this book. I wouldn't have ever come close to reading it if Blanche hadn't written it, but it was nice for a cozy mystery written by an old lady who's taught school for most of her life.
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
I dislike sci-fi, especially dystopian sci-fi, almost as much as YA. But I loved this book. Not because it was all that good by itself; I mean, it was a sci-fi book set in a dystopian world. No; more because the author loves books and reading, and knows full well how powerful storytelling can be, and the moral of the story is to keep that love of reading alive; because if we don't, then all these horrible consequences will follow. The scary thing is, he was right on a lot of that. I once read a quote of his(before reading this book) that said the only people who are allowed to write sci-fi are the crazy ones(Star Wars novels and fanfic in general) and the people who are trying to save humanity from itself.
Peril at End House, by Agatha Christie
This one is not one of her best. Of the late fifties/early sixties "I'm cranking something out for the publishers because they're demanding me to" variety.
Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger
This was a very strange novel, but worth reading, and it was good. It's set in North Dakota, of all places, in the winter of 1962-63, as a single father and his two younger children search in an Airstream trailer for the oldest son, on the run from the authorities after accidentally murdering someone.
Jane of Lantern Hill, by Lucy Maud Montgomery
This was one of her last books, and you can tell. It's fairly boring, except for several passages about the importance of stories(both secular and in the Bible), and the magic and secrets of old houses.
Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton
This was a great book. I might actually buy it. The movie was much scarier, but the book goes into a lot more detail, like long conversations on the collapse of science and the failures of the university system. And on page 80, Dr. Ian Malcolm has a great quote: "Isn't it amazing? In the information society, expected to banish paper, but what we actually banished was thought." (See Bradbury's paraphrased quote above.)
Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
First, this book is 1,039 pages. Second, it's very hard to read at times, because of how hard the war is and everything. And Scarlett makes lots of decisions with no good sides. But I enjoyed it a lot, and will definitely reread it at some point.
The Ordinary Princess, by M.M. Kaye
This is a completely straighfoward, unironical, fairy tale. A fairy tale that is about a princess who is extremely ordinary. And it's amazing.
Once On a Time, by A.A. Milne
The author said of this story, "You will either like this book, or you won't. It's that kind of book." It deals mainly with how easy it is to deceive people to keep society running smoothly, so that's different than most fairy tales.
Death in Berlin, by M.M. Kaye
Not quite Agatha Christie, but pretty close. She was surrounded by military men all her life(her grandpa, dad, brothers and husband), so she traveled a lot, so it's fitting that this novel is set among military men who move a lot. It's also set in 1952, so the war is still very, very fresh in everyone's mind.
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
This was unpleasant. But I was glad I read it. It's a lot like George Orwell's 1984 that way. And like Fahrenheit 451, it presents an alarmingly accelerated version of where our society could end up. Borrowed this from the DeSpains.
The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis
If Brave New World made me uncomfortable because of what's going on in society, rereading Screwtape reminded me all too well that I'm a sinful human.
The Secret Adversary, by Agatha Christie
Tommy and Tuppence make a great team. Plus it's just a really fun read. Young twentysomethings just back from a war get involved by accident with international espionage.
Grave Shift, by Blanche Manos and Barbara Burgess
The second of Blanche's cozy mysteries; even harder to take seriously.
Best Left Buried, by Blanche Manos and Barbara Burgess
These characters drink coffee as much as Hemingway's drink alcohol....it's crazy. Also, there was no way I could take this one very seriously. But sometimes those are nice.
Chasing the Wind, by Robert Elmer
This is the fifth of an eight-book series about the adventures of 12-year-old Danish twins and their best friend during/just after WWII. In this one, they get kidnapped by a rogue Nazi submarine hauling lost treasure to Brazil. It was reread as research for a project me and my writing partner Ashland were working on.
Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare
I think this is my favorite of his plays; because of the insults slung between characters, especially Benedick and Beatrice. Shakespeare's still rather hard to understand sometimes, though. (Note: After studying about a third of his plays the next semester, it gets easier.)
Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee
This was the parent of Mockingbird; and it shows. The third-person narration is clunky and characters aren't as well developed, but there are flashes of greatness which led to her completely overhauling the story as Mockingbird, which flew to dizzying heights of success. It was pretty good, but not great. There was a lot of controversy about whether it ought to be published or not, which I haven't quite made up my mind about.
N or M?, by Agatha Christie
Another fantastic Tommy and Tuppence adventure, set during WWII, so that makes it even more fun.
Christy, by Catherine Marshall
The author fictionalized her mother's first year as a missionary schoolteacher in the hills of Eastern Tennessee. It drags on a bit, and I disliked the ending, but overall it was a good story. Felt like a cross between Lucy Maud Montgomery and Harold Bell Wright(Shepherd of the Hills) stylistically, which was good.
The Christmas Puppy, by Roberta Grobel Inrater, illustrated by Bruce McNally
The tale of a mischief-loving tan-and-white puppy named Tina, and the joy she brings to her family and a homeless guy named Sam. Terrific, quick, laugh-inducing and heartbreaking read.
The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson
Transmogrifiers! Hopeless attempts at playing baseball! Calvin pretending to be an elephant! Philosophizing while riding a death-wagon down a steep murderous hill! Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson
More transmogrifying! Dinosaurs! The beginnings of Calvinball! Expressions of surprise! Susie Derkins!
Julie, by Catherine Marshall
Yeccch! Overly flowery, none of the characters feel honest, so it's impossible to care about anyone. This book was written with A Moral In Mind - that the church ought to do more to serve the needs of less-fortunate people. Also, she was an old lady the time she wrote this, and so she crammed her teenage biography into the story. And then she died, and her husband/editor didn't want to change too much about it. Would've been better if he had.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling
After two weeks as an English major, I realized something: There was at least one Harry Potter reference in class every day. Figured I ought to reread the first one, if not go through the whole thing, so I'd have some idea of the references. Still didn't like it.
Shane, by Jack Schaefer
Easily the best Western I've ever read, on the short list of my favorite first-person narratives.
The Lost World, by Michael Crichton
More dinosaurs! More tension! A couple more interesting passages about today's society to think about! Worth reading, though nowhere near as good as the original.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling
This book is really self-conscious about being a sequel. And Rowling's style is clunky, and I guessed most of the major plot points miles ahead of the characters. (I like Hermione, though.) But she does have a good way of depicting things in snappy ways. ("Mrs. So-and-So looked exactly like an underfed vulture.").
Come Rain or Come Shine, by Jan Karon
This fourteenth Mitford book deals with the stress and mayhem of planning a wedding....this time of Dooley and Lace. Mitford is a wonderful place to visit.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling
More of the same, this time with time travel involved. Yawn. (Hermione is still the best character.)
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
This was written by a Tulsa teenager in the mid-sixties. It's set in Tulsa, about social-class warfare. And then in the early eighties was made into a movie starring Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez and Tom Cruise. I liked it, and need to see the movie now.
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
Possibly the saddest book ever written. But one of the most wonderful first-person narratives ever written. Because love is like that. And dogs are special. Set in/outside Tahlequah, which earns MAJOR bonus points.
The Christmas Doll, by Elvira Woodruff
Two orphan girls try to stay alive on the cold streets of Victorian London. It's a book about hope, family, and soldiering on to get through the day. From a technical standpoint probably not the greatest thing ever written, but it is a really good book.
Star Wars: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, by James Luceno
The title is pretty self-explanatory...the story picks up right after Revenge of the Sith ends, in the earliest days of the Empire.
The Shakespeare Stealer, by Gary Blackwood
A young orphan named Widge is tasked with stealing the script of Hamlet, only to discover the power and joy that comes with acting.
Shakespeare's Scribe, by Gary Blackwood
Widge is now an apprentice with the Lord Chamberlain's Men; and after Mr. Shakespeare breaks his hand, he helps with writing the new play All's Well That Ends Well. More good passages on acting and that gray area between truth, falsehood and fiction.
Prey, by Michael Crichton
Nanotech robot insects terrorize a secret compound in the Nevada desert.
The Maze Runner, by James Dashner
Ashland has been after me for months to read this when I get the chance(those are the best kind of friends), and I finally found it in the Okmulgee library. It was really good for being a YA novel. All these teenage boys are trapped inside a gigantic maze with their only memories being their names. And then a girl shows up through the mysterious elevator.
The Light that Failed, by Rudyard Kipling
This is a story about two orphans who fall in love and grow up to be artists. So of course life won't be easy. The copy I read we found at a book sale, and it was so old that there was no copyright information.
Sphere, by Michael Crichton
My least favorite of his that I've read, because being stuck a thousand feet beneath the Pacific Ocean isn't too fun.
PICTURE BOOKS -
With an eight-year-old sister, that leads to lots of picture-book-reading. These will NOT be chronological, just whatever order I pulled them off the shelf.
Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown, pictures by Felicia Bond
A quick survey of the farm, with wonderful, bright illustrations. This is a good one.
Mice At Bat, story and pictures by Kelly Oechsli
In this picture book for early on-their-own readers, the mice that live and do janitorial work at the baseball stadium hold a championship game of their own one night. If you like baseball and personified animals, it offers an interesting idea(though not done as well as Leonard Kessler).
Paul Bunyan Finds a Wife, by Adele deLeeuw, pictures by Ted Schroeder
Tall tales are awesome. Especially when tall-tale legends get married; the teamwork adds to even greater, more ludicrous exploits.
The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
"...and the Tree was happy." This book is one of the best examples of friendship and sacrificial love that I can think of.
Are You My Mother?, by P.D. Eastman
His drawings are amazing.
The Best Nest, by P.D. Eastman
I don't much like either Mr. or Mrs. Bird, but I love the way they're drawn.
Go, Dog, Go!, by P.D. Eastman
There isn't much of a story in this one. Mostly a bunch of isolated pictures of dogs doing anthropomorphic things like wielding jackhammers, riding roller coasters and getting in car wrecks. It's one of my favorite picture books of all time.
The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Stephen Gammell
Anything Rylant is automatically awesome. This story tells about the visit of extended family.
Amelia Bedelia, by Peggy Parish, pictures by Fritz Siebel
This one isn't all that funny, but you had to start somewhere with a housekeeper that takes everything literally....
Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia!, by Peggy Parish, pictures by Lynn Sweat
There we go, Lynn Sweat's drawings are what we're used to seeing when we meet Amelia Bedelia. And as a substitute schoolteacher, things predictably don't go as planned. Hilarity ensues.
Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia!, by Peggy Parish, pictures by Wallace Tripp
Amelia Bedelia has to learn to play baseball to help the Grizzlies win their game against the Tornadoes. It's great. Mimi and Nano used to read it to me a lot.
The Great Corgiville Kidnapping, by Tasha Tudor
This is one of the best picture books nobody's ever heard of. It has a great world you want to live in for a while, filled with references to Julia Child, creative editing of angry swearing, and jokes about Nova Scotian raccoons. Plus amazing illustrations. AND it's a mystery/adventure!
The Scrambled States of America, by Laurie Keller
Laurie Keller is one of my all-time favorite picture-book authors and illustrators. And the answer to the question, "What if the states got tired of their neighbors and moved?" is wonderful. GO READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY!
The Scrambled States of America's Talent Show, by Laurie Keller
Really not that necessary....but I'll certainly read it, for another dose of her quirky style of humor and way of phrasing things. (Virginia is a very polite state...)
Open Wide, by Laurie Keller
Most of what I know about teeth comes from this book, which is what she intended, I think. Anyway, it's learning, and great characters, and humor, all wrapped up in one package.
The Year at Maple Hill Farm, written and illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen
Everyone's favorite farm to visit that you've never actually seen. And the drawings were done with Prismacolors!
The Hound From the Pound, by Jessica Swaim, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Odd for a picture book to have British humor, but this is really good.
Frog Trouble, by Sandra Boynton
Boynton's another on my list of all-time favorite picture book author-illustrators, and this one is even better because it's a bunch of songs, sung by Kacey Musgraves, Brad Paisley, Allison Krauss and Josh Turner. (The songs are all hysterical, as you would expect.)
Barn Dance!, by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Ted Rand
This was a Reading Rainbow book; the farm animals hold a square dance while the farmer is asleep. Square dancing is awesome. Personified animals are great, too. Together? It's a good book.
A Pocket for Corduroy, by Don Freeman
I've never much liked Corduroy. I don't know why.
Froggy Goes To Bed, by Jonathan London, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
You know what's going to happen in a Froggy story..but the pictures are really what makes them so enjoyable.
So Many Bunnies, by Rick Walton, pictures by Paige Miglio
One of the best ABC-centered picture books.
Adam Raccoon and Bully Garumph, by Glen Keane
Adam Raccoon was one of those characters that I always associated with Westville and the farm, like Amelia Bedelia or the animals of Wonder Woods. In this story, Adam's having trouble with a big bully that's always making soccer difficult.
More Bunny Trouble, by Hans Wilhem
Another adventure of Ralph the soccer-playing rabbit. Here he has to find his little sister Emily, who's gotten lost. Wonderful pictures.
Big Bad Bunny Trouble, by Hans Wilhem
A gang of foxes are going to ram down the door of the house to eat all the rabbits painting Easter Eggs. Can Ralph, who's been grounded in his room, somehow save them all?
Three Stories You Can Read To Your Cat, by Sara Swan Miller, pictures by True Kelley
Even before I had a cat, I would enjoy reading this. Even before I had a dog I enjoyed reading this. I think I just like reading about animals. And I enjoy second-person narration.
Three Stories You Can Read To Your Dog, by Sara Swan Miller, pictures by True Kelley
From a dog's perspective instead of a cat's, which is just as entertaining.
Mr. Pine's Purple House, by Leonard Kessler
All the houses look the same. (Think John Mellancamp complained about this around the same time.) How's Mr. Pine going to distinguish his from the rest? Leonard Kessler is another of Wesley's All-Time Favorite Picture Book Authors/Illustrators.
Kick, Pass and Run, by Leonard Kessler
The animals discover a football in the woods, learn how the game is played, and then start up a game of their own. SO GREAT!
Super Bowl, by Leonard Kessler
The Animal Champs and the Super Birds are all set for the Super Bowl. Who's gonna win?
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! The First All-Animal Olympics, by Leonard Kessler
The animals find the sports section of a newspaper, discover the Olympic Games, and decide to host their own version.
The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson
A boy grows a carrot plant in his garden, and eventually, with patience, time and loving care, a carrot grows.
Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson
This book's plot could be applied very easily to the process of writing a story.
The Bananas Move To The Ceiling, by Esther and Stephen Manes, illustrated by Barbara Samuels
The Bananas have a serious problem with messiness. So they come up with an....interesting...way of dealing with it.
The Crippled Lamb, by Max Lucado, illustrated by Liz Bonham
One of my favorites. There's been plenty of times I've felt like Joshua; especially as I've gotten older. This is just a wonderful story; a wonderful way of looking at the miracle of Christ's birth. And when I'm reading it to myself I always hear it narrated by Trinnica, because during AWANAS one Wednesday night at Southside she read it to a bunch of us.
Paw Paw Chuck's Big Ideas From the Bible, by Charles R. Swindoll, illustrated by Ross Vera
A bunch of the best-known(and best-loved) Bible stories, told at an introductory level, in order for them to stick. This is an amazing book.
The Goat ABCs, by Patricia Polacco
A goat-centered ABC book. Great illustrations.
Big Dog, Little Dog, by P.D. Eastman
Two friends argue over everything, and neither can get a good night's sleep while on vacation at the ski slopes. Plus more wonderful Eastman illustrations!
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss
Everyone knows this story.
NONFICTION -
Once Upon a Town, by Bob Greene
A journalist inserts himself into his account of researching a remarkable community project during WWII by a small city in southwest Nebraska. It's an amazing book, simply because of the morale raised during the war and the sacrifices of those both on the front lines and back on the homefront.
Love Stories of World War II, collected by Larry King
The style these were written in was yawn-inducing, but many of the situations themselves, or characters involved, looked like terrific material to steal for a story. So for that reason, it was a good book.
The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
One of the most useful tools for writing well in print. Consult it often.
Mooring Against the Tide, by Jeff Knorr and Tim Schnell
Okay, this was a Creative Writing textbook, so I kind of had to read it at least eight times through cover-to-cover during the spring semester. But it was very instructive on the mechanics of poetry; how to write it, what it is, that kind of thing.
Adventures in the Screen Trade, by William Goldman
A sort-of-behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood, and comments about life and storytelling. (This book was published five years before The Princess Bride was released to theaters. The book had been out for ten years.)
Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade, by William Goldman
The sequel, written eighteen years after the first. More of the same type of material as the first. (Goldman is a fantastic writer.)
When Your World Falls Apart, by David Jeremiah
This was good. Lots of in-depth study of the Psalms, which are fairly easy to skip over and forget they exist. His attitude was basically, "Hey, life is hard. It's part of the way the world is, because of the Fall. But somehow that's part of God's plan. So keep fighting."
Caught Up in a Story, by Sarah Clarkson
This lady's writing was terribly clunky, but I loved her ideas. I just wished she could have expressed them better....It basically says that children need to be brought up immersed in stories(which is pretty much how I grew up, so I'm biased, but...)
Reagan: The Hollywood Years, by Marc Eliot
This was really interesting to read. Not just because Reagan was a good man to study, or because the studio-system era of moviemaking was fascinating(and unfair), but because of the author's thinking that sure, we all know about Reagan the president. But in order to understand Reagan the president, we have to find out how he became that man as Reagan the actor.
Ian Fleming: The Man Behind James Bond, by Andrew Lycett
This was very disappointing. It was extremely British, meaning full of high-class snobbishness. That could have been easily overcome, though; Fleming lived as those walls were coming down. (He was only about fifteen years younger than Agatha Christie.) But no; the author must give the life history of every single person who ever came into contact with Fleming at any point in his lifetime... I only plowed through because it's awful to leave books half-finished. Also, nowhere is there any explanation whatsoever for British academic terms or athletic awards.that played a role in schoolboy days. (If Laura Hillenbrand had been writing this, though...oh, well.) Anyway, Fleming was a very strange man, and his books are much more interesting than he was.
Say Goodnight, Gracie! The Story of Burns and Allen, by Cheryl Blythe and Susan Sackett
If I would've known anything about them before reading this book, it would have been better. George Burns and Gracie Allen were almost as famous as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, it seems. And their humor likely influenced the writers of The Dick Van Dyke Show and Parks and Recreation, among others.
Kids Say the Darndest Things, by Art Linkletter
Humorous quotes and exchanges from Art Linkletter's TV and radio shows.
Blogging For Writers, by Robin Houghton
This was somewhat useful; resulting in minor tweaks to both of my blogs. If I could invest more time to create a full WordPress website, it would be very useful. Bought at the Successful Writer Conference.
A Writer's Survival Guide to Getting Published, by Terry Burns
This was an expansion of a talk given at the conference by a friendly old guy now working as an agent, and it's basically "These are the rules to follow in order to have a decent chance at getting published." Extremely helpful.
Writing in Obedience: A Primer for Christian Fiction Writers, by Terry Burns and Linda Yezak
Besides knowing the rules for surviving the way to possibly getting published; as Christians, we have a separate set of rules to follow for life in general, and when life-rules and writing-rules seem to come into conflict, it's hard to know how to react. Self-promotion doesn't seem like being humble, for example. So this book basically says, "Hey, so we're assuming you're a believer. Do you like writing? Then write. Do you feel like that's what God has gifted you with the skills to do? Then write! The Lord's sovereign over everything, right? He'll get your work to the people that need to read it. You just write, and see what he has planned." Very encouraging.
The Very Best Baby Name Book in the Whole Wide World, collected by Bruce Lansky
That title sums it up. Baby-name books are extremely necessary resources for writers, and this is the best ever. Characters need the perfect name in order to get to know them, because that's usually the first thing we learn about a stranger. Everything else follows from that information.
Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and his Revolutionary Comic Strip, by Nevin Martell
Realizing just now that that is a very long subtitle. Anyway, this was a very unusual biography. It was written kind of like Bob Greene's Once Upon a Town, in that the author inserted himself tracking the story as a character in the story. Also, Watterson is so private and reclusive that he provided no help whatsoever, and neither did his brother. His mother helped out a little bit at the end, though. Anyway, it was a good book. And only an unusual man could create a comic strip as brilliant as Calvin and Hobbes.
How To Read a Book, by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
This was very informative. By their standards, I probably am not very well-versed at reading. (Mostly I read fiction, or biographies. Very little for attaining new information.) I did wonder how much to trust it, though; being that it was co-written by Charles Van Doren, of the 1950's Quiz Show Scandal....
Keeping Our Children's Hearts, by Steve and Teri Maxwell
From the "Read whatever your fingers land on" category. Sure, the Maxwells were one of the early homeschooling families, especially when it comes to the Internet, but THEY WERE REALLY UPTIGHT. Like, you think of all those homeschooling cliches, realize they must have come from somewhere, and just cringe. Their motives were probably good, but the book seemed like a bunch of advice from a houseful of obsessively overprotective weirdos. And who wants that? (Said by someone who occasionally reads and enjoys No Greater Joy magazine...)
Altar Ego, by Craig Groeschel
Yecch. It might have just been presentation, or something, but this was pretty bad. Very "RAH-RAH-RAH! Isn't being a Christian GREAT?! Hey, did you see how humble I was being right there?" My response was more like, "Great, dude....can you go serve Jesus somewhere very far away from where I am right now?"
Parenting Today's Adolescent, by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
Not sure why I picked this one up; it was just sitting on the shelf and I grabbed something randomly. I agreed with most of what it said; though not everything. Anyway, might be useful to know for if I'm ever a parent.
Church Membership, by Jonathan Leeman
Very interesting, if a rather strange topic. One of those T4G books that always look worth reading. Read just after the announcement of a possible church merger, because I was curious about what it would say. It confirmed that I probably ought to study the book of Acts some more.
No Plot? No Problem! How to Write a Low-Stress, High-Velocity Novel in 30 Days, by Chris Baty
This guy is crazy.That title says it all. He started a movement of complete novel-writing in a month. Perfect for those people who've "always meant to write something, one of these days..." He's also really fun, in an off-the-wall manner. (FYI: It's really, really hard to try a NaNoWriMo project. But everyone should try it, preferably multiple times.)
Burning Bush 2.0: How Pop Culture Replaced the Prophet, by Paul Asay
Basically, this book says that God speaks to us through our entertainment, which can be seen in our love of stories and ability to create them. And how to sort out those messages that God's trying to tell us from the humans who "rather mucked it up", as Peggy Carter says in The Winter Soldier. It's the kind of book I'd like to write someday.
Strengthening Your Grip. by Charles R. Swindoll
Kind of reaffirming the principles to stand upon as a foundation in a sand-based world. Pretty good.
How To Have A 48-Hour Day, by Don Aslett
"These are the attitudes and some tips to get more done faster and more effectively!" Brought to you by the world's most famous and most successful janitor.
How To Survive Your Freshman Year, edited by Mark W. Bernstein and Yadin Kaufmann
A collection of advice for how to survive your freshman year of college. Some of it's useful, some not.
The Path to Home, by Edgar Guest
A collection of Guest's poems, which is terrific.
When Day is Done, by Edgar Guest
Another poetry collection.
The Friendly Way, by Edgar Guest
Another collection of verse from one of the best poets of the 20th century.
The Mind's Eye, by Kevin Clark
This was a textbook for Poetry Writing, I disagreed with most of its ideas and thought the rest were mostly unintelligible or unhelpful. But I'm old-fashioned when it comes to poetry, so that explains it. We barely even used it, so it didn't really matter. Maybe I'll do some of the exercises when bored sometime and like it better.
The Hidden Life of Dogs, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
The comedy-drama of the life of one pack, as written by their scientifically-minded owner. Funny, interesting and sad at times, it was one of those "good books pulled from Okmulgee library book sale" finds. It would make a really great springboard for a Meerkat Manor type of fiction piece.
When God Doesn't Make Sense, by James Dobson
Sometimes He doesn't. And so we just have to try to trust that He knows what He's doing. Very good book.
Flannery O'Connor and the Christ-Haunted South, by Ralph C. Wood
She was an odd writer, but I kind of like her stuff. And this was written in a near-intolerably dull academic manner, but it was okay, overall. I read it for research on an American Lit essay.
Shakespeare and Masculinity, by Bruce R. Smith
A book I blazed through while researching an essay for Lit Traditions. It was very academic; but might be worthwhile if I had more time to study it. It kind of dealt with what it meant for Shakespeare's characters to be masculine.
The Gospel According to Peanuts, by Robert L. Short
This quick read was good example of the "How to Mine Pop Culture in Order to Witness to the World" style of evangelism. It's not a perfect book; because it was written by a human. But in general, it's good. (Also, I think this was the first book to take that approach specifically.)
Chicken Soup for the College Student's Soul, collected by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger and Dave Clark
Inspirational and encouraging anecdotes and scenes of college living. It's a formula, sure. But man, does it work well.
Concerning Cats, by Helen M. Winslow
This wonderful 1900 book is by a cat-lover for cat-lovers everywhere, and if you aren't one you will wonder why such a book needs to exist. But then, you are likely "one of those people that not only dislikes cats, but thinks it is a special virtue to dislike them", as Lucy Maud Montgomery said in The Blue Castle. For the rest of us, it's a pawfect treasure.
Maud: The Life of L.M. Montgomery, by Harry Bruce
This was a very well-written biography. About the only complaint I had was that it wasn't long enough.
Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography, by David Michaelis
Charles Schulz was a very complicated man. This biography was extremely well-researched; though at 565 pages can feel too large sometimes. The creator of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and everybody else reminded me a lot of myself...which was uncomfortable. And it's weird to be preached at by a biography.
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, by Scott McCloud
A very comprehensive deconstruction of how comics work, and explanation of how each of the elements involved plays a role in helping the audience understand the story.
A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition, by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez
A behind-the-scenes look at some of what went into creating the very first Peanuts television special.
Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton
Kind of a spiritual biography, as he calls it. Very good read(look at "The Ethics of Elfland" especially.)
The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites, by Libby H. O'Connell
A history of America through quick snapshot sketches of popular foods which were culturally significant in some way. The author works for the History Channel.
Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street, by Michael Davis
Somehow this guy made a history of something as colorful and energetic as Sesame Street read dry as dust. Maybe it's cause only about fifty pages(out of 350-ish) deal with the actual production lifetime of the show. Literally half the book is dull arguments between education professors and various government agencies during preproduction. And while the history of early children's programming was interesting, there was far too much information given in that area.
Yes Please, by Amy Poehler
Well-written sentences and really strange experiences rule about equally in this memoir. Written during the closing days of Parks and Rec, so extra points for that.
The Art of Voice Acting, by James R. Alburger
Basically, an introduction to the business of voice acting. Useful as a beginning textbook in terms of explaining the terms and concepts, now I just need to find more books on the subject.
Saturday Night Live FAQ: Everything Left to Know About Television's Longest-Running Comedy, by Stephen Tropiano
That subtitle pretty much sums it up. A history of the first 38 years of SNL, which makes it(so says the first page) the most recent of the four histories of the show. Reading through descriptions of famous characters and sketches from the late 90's, I was like, "Hey, I know that character! And that! And that catchphrase! How do I remember these?" And then I was all, "Oh, yeah....duh. Mom and Dad were youth pastors; and you always hung out with the cool teenagers." Anyway, it was a neat read.
You Can Write Greeting Cards, by Karen Ann Moore
A step-by-step explanation of the process of writing for greeting-card companies, specifically freelancing. It was published in 1999, so a lot of the info is too dated to be helpful, but it was interesting.
A Brief History of Anxiety - Yours and Mine, by Patricia Pearson
Traces both the concept of severe anxiety in society throughout history and her own struggles with dealing with off-the-wall fears and problems with antidepressant medications. It was interesting.
The Spiritual Discipline of Discernment, by Tim Challies
His first book, explaining what discernment is and why it's so important in the Christian life.
Christmas Songs and Their Stories, by Herbert H. Wernecke
Mom found this 1952 book at the Okmulgee library; it was fine, but not that great. I think the intended audience was choir directors. Two-thirds of the hymns I had never heard of.
Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life, by Douglas Wilson
A useful book on writing tips and suggestions for how to live in a way that will improve your writing, which is just one facet of your life.
Playwriting Brief and Brilliant, by Julie Jensen
This was a textbook for Dr. Blakely's scriptwriting course for Spring 2016, I got a jump on studying for it while on break. It didn't seem particularly helpful yet, but maybe that'll change. I do really like the author's name, though. I might swipe it for a character at some point.
Apples and Chalkdust, by Vicki Caruana
An encouragement gift book for teachers.
When You Rise Up: A Covenental Approach to Homeschooling, by R.C. Sproul Jr
The ideas behind this book on education are good, I guess....but it really just feels like you're being preached at the whole time. That's not much fun to read.
Kids Say the Darndest Things, by Bill Cosby
Apparently there was a remake of that series during the 90's with Bill Cosby as host? Anyway, this one wasn't as good as the original. Society became much more cynical from the 50's to the 90's. And Cosby tries to add clever reactions on top of the quotes.
Too Wise to Be Mistaken, Too Good to Be Unkind, by Cathy Steere
Mom got this on sale at Mardel thinking about giving it to Dayla, so I ran through it to see if she should maybe do that. This was a well-written account of a mother's realization that her son has autism, and how they dealt with that. Plus, it was published by Grace & Truth Books!
How NOT to Write a Screenplay, by Denny Martin Flinn
This was the other textbook for Dr. Blakely's Script Writing course that I was reading ahead for.
American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms, by Chris Kyle and William Doyle
This was an extremely readable history of guns. It was really cool, and interesting to learn about a subject I wasn't too familiar with. Plus history is awesome in any format or type.
Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America, by Leslie Knope (likely really created by the staff writers of Parks and Recreation)
Fantastic. Literally the best book written by a fictional character that I have ever read.
Felines of New York, by Jim Tews
I got this as a Christmas present for Courtney. It's pretty great.
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