All Consuming : Alana Post

Consuming "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:12:58 GMT

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

by Junot Diaz

A question I have about "Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:25:20 GMT

Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer

There’s still plenty of time for Jessica Alba to become my generation’s Meryl Streep

Why I recommend "Hot Fuzz (Widescreen Edition)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:23:05 GMT

Hot Fuzz (Widescreen Edition)

by Edgar Wright

THIS PLEASES ME

WHAT? (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 09:34:51 GMT

Middlesex

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Damn. This book was supposedly so great. I feel like everyone who really loves it… they must not have ever been exposed to diddly-squat when it comes to transgendered themes, so reading this was some real revelatory experience for them. And that is great, I mean it’s great that people are stepping outside themselves a bit and really connecting with these issues of sexuality and gender that they maybe never thought of before, but I reserve some small personal right to begrudge them the popular success of their eye-opener. Not worth a Pulitzer in any way, shape or form. A solid beach book. The fact that this is so vaunted is some kind of ironic exoticism.

Why I recommend "The Book of Salt"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:38:01 GMT

The Book of Salt

by Monique Truong

This was my bus book from Annsley. New York to Maine. I enjoyed its narrator and I felt that the style, swinging between his present and his past, was well executed. Reminded me of Jeanette Winterson’s books but less self-consciously “smart”.

Oliver Sacks Lite (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 04:46:37 GMT

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

by Mark Haddon

Worthwhile only for people who are totally unfamiliar with autism. If you, like me, are interested in it and picked up the book hoping to gain more insight into the disorder, or (again, like me) you like murder mysteries and hoped to get a really fresh and interesting take on the genre, you will probably be disappointed by what amounts to fluffy gimmick lit.

A story about "A History of Violence (New Line Platinum Series)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 05:27:46 GMT

A History of Violence (New Line Platinum Series)

by David Cronenberg

This movie features this apparently standard conceit in film wherein a woman being brutalized by a man starts to get into it. I will never understand this and it turns me off from every movie that contains it, that enough people would consider that realistic and important to a film enough to include it.

“Yikes you’re beating me up and forcing me to have sex with you… mm oh yeah wait this is hot never mind”

PLOT/DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTERS != FURTHERED

A story about "Swept Away"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 04:13:16 GMT

Swept Away

by Guy Ritchie

I seriously hate it when a movie has a rape scene where the lady/victim changes her mind from “YIKES I’M BEING RAPED” to “ooh yeah baby this is kinda H-O-T-T”. and this movie has one of those in it, and it made me go GAWWWWWWWWD YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME

Why I recommend "The Experiment"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 15:28:45 GMT

The Experiment

by Oliver Hirschbiegel

This movie was utterly horrifying to me, and I’ve watched an enormous variety and number of “horrifying” or “upsetting” films. I watched it with the abuses and tortues at Abu Ghraib so fresh in my mind that I could not stop feeling as though I was witnessing something specifically tailored to that tragedy.

Rich in metaphor, there’s something wrong with your analytical skills if this movie doesn’t absolutely give you pause for thought at the very least.

How "Fanny and Alexander (The Theatrical Version) - Criterion Collection" changed my life

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 00:04:56 GMT

Fanny and Alexander (The Theatrical Version) - Criterion Collection

by Ingmar Bergman

This may be my new favourite movie.

A story about "Flaubert's Parrot"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 09:02:27 GMT

Flaubert's Parrot

by Julian Barnes

on smith street in brooklyn new york. around 9pm, 11/15/05.

A story about "The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 21:57:58 GMT

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1)

by Philip Pullman

Fantastic; better than Harry Potter by far.

A story about "The Corrections"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:52:30 GMT

The Corrections

by Jonathan Franzen

I sort of enjoyed this book, and sort of didn’t. It seemed pretty forced in places, pretty heavily edited in others. In a couple of places it really flowed, but it couldn’t really keep this momentum (for me). At times the plot was absurdist, and Frenzen’s clever ironies got kind of mowed down. I do, however, expect continued improvement from this author.

A story about "The PowerBook"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:51:29 GMT

The PowerBook

by Jeanette Winterson

She’s somehow managed this beautiful gender-fluid narrator, this sensual and delightful dialogue, a narrative free of cladding (her word). I’m enraptured.

...

3 hours later. I’m done. It was lovely and incredibly charming. I ponder the motives of the girl who leant it to me, so it must have done its job. smiles

A story about "American Gods"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:51:29 GMT

American Gods

by Neil Gaiman

I actually got this book by way of bturner, and I found All Consuming through his website, so it’s only fitting that I comment on American Gods here.

I’ve been a fan of Neil Gaiman for years, since the Sandman graphic art novels were first coming out. His ability to weave mythologies together to create a spellbinding universe is unparalleled and always completely fascinates me. I highly recommend everything he writes :)

A story about "Quiet Room"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:51:29 GMT

Quiet Room

by Lori Schiller

As far as a detailed description of the experience of being in a mental hospital goes, this book doesn’t disappoint. I think that it is a must-read for psychologist, psychiatrists, and social workers because I can’t even count the number of times that I wished that they could just have a glimpse of what it was like to be in my shoes. This book also was an interesting look at the schizophrenic experience. It was kind of an “airplane book” but not without merit.

A story about "Siddhartha"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:51:29 GMT

Siddhartha

by Hermann Hesse

I read Siddhartha for the first time when I was in for an extended stay at a hospital… it really helped me to be able to wrap myself up in Siddhartha’s adventures instead of wallowing in my own misery.

A story about "The Martian Chronicles (The Grand Master Editions)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:51:29 GMT

The Martian Chronicles (The Grand Master Editions)

by Ray Bradbury

I read this for the first time when I was probably 11 or 12 years old… Bradbury launched me on my discovery of Sci-Fi. His books have such a spareness to them, a lean and almost meditative cleanliness, that they lend themselves to readers of any age or background.

A story about "Verbatim: From the bawdy to the sublime, the best writing on language for word lovers, grammar mavens, and armchair linguists"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:51:28 GMT

Verbatim: From the bawdy to the sublime, the best writing on language for word lovers, grammar mavens, and armchair linguists

This books seems like it was written for me. We’ll see!

A story about "Venus in Furs (Penguin Classics)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:51:28 GMT

Venus in Furs (Penguin Classics)

by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

Light reading, but very titillating and more enjoyable than Story of O.

Sacher-Masoch manages to be less sexually explicit and more psychologically explicit [when compared to ‘O’] in this funny little stylish fantasy cum case study.

A story about "Snow White"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Alana Post) — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:51:28 GMT

Snow White

by Donald Barthelme

This book is hilarious. It’s funny because I thought that Eco would be like Calvino, but it’s Barthelme who is really reminding me of him.