Warped Tour '09 reading

An excerpt from Twitter on what Dia of Meg & Dia is reading on tour:

@megdia Just started Reading "Forever Amber," by Kathleen Winsor. Check it out! - Dia (Don't be discouraged by the 900 something pages!)

Mother, May I?

Yet another great reader encounter at the Lucy's Laundromat (after some fun random encounters on the same day. One of which was a friend and member of Justin's book club. Small world, right?) This time a young child. I always find myself hesitating before approaching them. I felt like a vulture flying over a body. I would watch him from the corner of my eye as I folded my clothes. Finally after packing up I approach his mother and ask for permission to interview her son. I mean, a random gal with a camera? :)

After getting permission from the madre I proceed to have a little conversation with Rodrigo. He is sitting atop one of the counters reading Eldest by Christopher Paolini, part of the Inheritance trilogy. Simply put (and in a meek voice) the book is about a boy named Eragon and his dragon, Saphira. I prod him for a bit more and it was very cute to watch Rodrigo during this process. Looking down with his chin perched on his fingers, carefully crafting his response in his mind. "They go on many adventures." Rodrigo has not read all the books in the series. This is Book 2 and he's only read the 1st and 2nd books thus far. This read is purely for fun, not for school.

He is in the 7th grade and he just finished learning about the Greek gods. If he could write a book it would be about Greece. I had to ask which god he preferred. After much deliberation he answered with "Poseidon...because he seems better than the others. Even Zeus."


A favourite book of his is The Lightning Thief, Book 1 in the Olympian book series by Rick Riordan. He thought the book was funny. I wanted to know what else kids read these days, wondering if favorites from my childhood were still hits, books like Goosebumps. Rodrigo tells me he likes the Goosebumps books. He's drawn to books in a series because the story keeps going. He is, by far, not a fast reader at all but he is working toward improving his skills so that he can get to more books quicker.

What book series did you enjoy when you were younger?

sister sister

Currently on a Meg & Dia kick especially since their new album came out...a few months ago? Still trying to get my interview with one of them to see what they are reading on tour. Mike K., hook a girl up!

Video of Meg discussing The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera for Spin.com's Book Club selection many moons ago.

Opposite Day

Dinner Destination: Downtown Los Angeles. Little Tokyo to be exact. After having our fill of spicy sushi rolls and pitchers of Kirin my friend Erica, her gentleman caller and I decide to meet up with his friends at the Barbara's at the Brewery a few minutes away. I love going to the Brewery, a section of Downtown Los Angeles that happens to be one of the largest artist colonies in the world. Lofts and art spaces galore. (Upon arrival Erica and I were drawn by the pretty glow of a light installation in one of the warehouses).

We met up with the guys at Barbara's (bar/restaurant) where I (literally) bump into Wren. He's on his way toward the patio armed with a cigar, a glass of Scotch, his iPod and a copy of Paul Arden's "Whatever You Think Think the Opposite". Wren lives upstairs (he's lived at the Brewery for about 4 years now) so he often comes down to hang out.

Wren was having a conversation with friends where this particular book came up in conversation so he decided to go out and buy a copy. Paul Arden used to be the creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi (our ears perk because Erica and I are familiar with the agency). This lead us to segue into a conversation about the AMC show, Mad Men. "Paul Arden was their Don Draper." This book is about turning everything on their heads. Plain and simple, whatever you are told to believe, believe the complete opposite.

Wren explains that he is a filmmaker and a musician. He's made music videos and commercials so he understands how it is when creative minds and worlds collide. "This book is great because and we need to get into a habit of turning things upside down. People have a lazy habit of thinking, never questioning, and we need to break out of that habit. Not everything we are fed and told is necessarily correct. Lots of great aphorisms that one can read and sit with for a bit before moving on."

Another great book recommendation is Friedrich Nietzsche's "Human, All Too Human", a book with many short thoughts and perfect to deconstruct. Wren is also a fan of Chomsky especially his work that states the only thing we're responsible for are predictable of our actions. "We have a hard time simplifying but we have to. When I read that I thought, "Fuck, that's it!" It's become his mantra, to simplify, not overthink.

His best friend in New York has recently recommended Snow by Turkish writer, Orham Pamuk. "It's good so far, a work of fiction, and I believe it has won a Nobel Prize. Very well-written. I wish I could get through it quicker but my reading time is very limited." When he's not reading books Wren enjoys reading The New Yorker and the Scientific American.


I asked him about his reading habits. Wren admits that he is not a fast reader at all and we all admitted we were the same way. "I also don't read silently. One of my favourite books is Ulysses by James Joyce. I've read it several times and I've felt that it one one of those books that is meant to be read out loud. I read scripts often and reading something aloud gives you a sense and feeling for the material. Articulating words in your mind is different from when you recite them. Plus, my mind tends to wander so I like to hear the words. I especially do this when I read poetry. The author has a voice and you want to hear it."

Growing up he enjoyed reading the Freddy the Pig detectice series. Around the 7th grade he got his hands on Les Miserables. "I felt like I was very snooty for reading it". This triggered the memory of my interview with Keith who got in trouble for reading Hard Times as a child.

If he were to write his own book? "I could easily say that it would be a book about relationships and long walks through the mountains or something autobiographical, like many first novels. However I'd like my book to be about somebody trying to find the right way to do things in order for the outcome to be positive and productive. The conflict will revolve around how the world is conspiring against us so the protagonist must find a way around these obstacles."

Wren has been writing in a journal since he was 17. Our conversation slips down this path about our journal writing habits. "Periods vary. I can find myself writing all the time then you will see posts few and far between. We all tend to write alot when we are upset, when our emotions are running high. I currently have an electronic journal simply called 'The Weather'. Entries are short like 'It was nice today'. A quick summation. That's all we really need."

This Cover is the Suck?

Met up with my friend, Ann, for dinner at Mao's Kitchen on Melrose. I love this place but I personally enjoy eating at the Mao's in Venice. The setup is so much better. It's very true to the communist feel!

Arriving casually late I find Ann seated in the outdoor patio area waiting and reading the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, "Dead Until Dark" by Charlaine Harris. For those who have been sucked into HBO's hit show "True Blood" you are well aware that the Sookie Stackhouse books are the reason why we have a new show to obsess over! Ann and I (along with many of our friends and colleagues) can't get enough of the show. I don't have TV so I had given the first season's DVD's a shot (and now I'm doomed).

Once I had heard that the show was based off books I was intrigued to check them out myself. Everyone kept telling me that the books are pretty faithful. However when I went to the local bookstore on Larchmont and found the series of books on the shelf I reacted like a vamp approaching cloves of garlic. I am so used to the dark HBO series that I've grown to love that the cheesy, almost children's book cover turned me off. I couldn't get over how cartoony Sookie and Vampire Bill look on the cover. Vampire Bill looks like the Count von Count from Sesame Street for crying out loud! Talk about judging a book by its cover.



I asked Ann what she thought so far and she says that the narrative seems to be right on the money. Or rather the TV show is pratically mirroring the book's narrative. "Even the dialects in the book are so similar. When I read the words I can hear Sookie's voice talking in my head. It's great!"

Alright, so I may have to give the books a try. I will just have to tear the covers off...and avoid reading the backs of the books because I ended up reading the back of Book 9 and all I kept thinking was "Wait, WHAT?! He does WHAT?!" Just seemed too silly. But hey, I can't knock it 'til I try it, right? I'll have to borrow Ann's copy when she is done and give you all a full report on biting the silver bullet.

Are there any television shows or movies that you enjoyed first then decided to check out the books they were based off of?

Got a spare or two?

Hello lovely readers! I wanted to send a special thank you to fellow blogger, Natasha, over at 1330V for donating heaps of children's books for our book drive! I am so very thankful for this and I'm sure the children who are going to receive them are going to be thrilled!

It's not too late to donate if you haven't already! For those of you new to the blog I am currently holding a book drive that will run until the end of July. Gently used and/or new books for children/pre-teens are currently being accepted. Your generous donation will be given to Reading to Kids. Reading to Kids is a grassroots organization dedicated to inspiring low-income children with a love of reading.

Our donated books will be given to the children after their reading clubs to take home and build their own home libraries. Parents receive donated books as well so that they can help nurture their child's newfound love for reading. So dig up some of your childhood books, ask your friends to donate some of theirs or roam the shelves at your local bookstore for the latest releases.

Ways to donate to this book drive:

• Bring your new or gently used children's book(s) to our next book club meeting in July
• Contact yours truly so that we can organize a meet-up where I can pick up your book donations
• I am currently working to get donation boxes placed in some local independent book stores in the city. If all goes well I will announce these bookstore locations where you can drop off your donations
• Not in Los Angeles but still want to help? Let me know and we can make arrangements to work something out
  
• Above all please contact me if you're interested in helping out. Every book counts.