upside your mind

options 4

2012-01-23T15:16:00.001-06:00

It's options time again! That means the winner of the Super Bowl decides the answer to that age old question which haunts me every few weeks: What am I going to read next? I had four options in mind a week ago, one for each possible contender. Edgar Allen Poe would have been a natural selection to represent the Ravens. San Francisco would have gotten KW Jeter. The selections became: NY Giants = Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem vs. NE Patriots = Blackbriar by William Sleator. I don't have a preference of teams or authors here. I think highly of them all. I kinda wanted the 49ers to go, so it would've been Jeter vs. Sleator. It rhymes.

PKD

2012-01-22T01:23:00.001-06:00

currently reading

2012-01-21T01:23:00.001-06:00

The Simulacra

Philip K. Dick

Book Art

2012-01-20T14:07:00.001-06:00

The Big Book of British Smiles

2012-01-15T14:19:00.001-06:00

1st book of the year

2012-01-13T04:10:00.001-06:00

You Are Here

Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination

Katharine Harmon

I've had this one sitting around for a while. I had it on the light reading list for a while, started to read it, left it in my car for a long time, forgot about it. Spent an hour searching my house for it tonight, then finally found it. It's finally time to get serious about reading it.

Coffee Table Books 2

2012-01-12T14:05:00.001-06:00

Coffee Table Books

2012-01-12T12:29:00.001-06:00

Self-Help Books

2012-01-12T12:23:00.001-06:00

Listograph

2012-01-10T17:27:00.000-06:00

I bought this book last year, thinking it would make a good calendar. Nope. I really needed one that lies open and flat on my bill paying desk, where I can easily see how much I owe who and when. This is more like a large paperback you'd carry around with you. I did try filling out some of the lists it gives you but I couldn't really get into it. Don't know why. I like making lists. Maybe writing in anything other than a blank notebook feels wrong. $15.99 is a pretty expensive notebook.
This year one of my resolutions is to write a bit more and return to filling out these lists. But wait, there's an easier way. Listography is on the internet. Yesterday I signed up and have since made 20 or so lists. Here's me.

Go Team Venture!

2012-01-09T16:46:00.000-06:00

From Super Punch: Sean Dove's contribution to the upcoming Adult Swim show at Gallery 1988 is a Choose Your Own Adventure starring the Venture Brothers. He has various great, cheap prints on sale at Etsy.

Late Night

2012-01-09T16:28:00.000-06:00

There's a great article about this book on SplitSider.

best books

2011-12-31T02:21:00.000-06:00

This years winner of upside your mind's book of the year is:

Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Runners up was a tie between

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers and

Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter

Honorable mention goes to

Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem

2011

2011-12-26T17:33:00.000-06:00

Books I read this year.

Steampunk'd - edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg
Comfort me With Apples by Ruth Reichl
Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem
Notions Unlimited by Robert Sheckley
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Others See Us by William Sleator
Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palahniuk
The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton
Born to Rock by Gordon Korman
Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem
Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain
Sooner Dead by Mel Odom
101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Matthew Frederick
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Towards a New Architecture by Le Corbusier
To the Land of the Electric Angel by William Rotsler
The Boy Who Reversed Himself by William Sleator
Idle Pleasures by George Alec Effinger
Lizard Music by Daniel Pinkwater
Interstellar Pig by William Sleator
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille by Steven Brust
Time Travelers Strictly Cash by Spider Robinson
Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter
Starship Titanic by Terry Jones
The Unlimited Dream Company by J.G. Ballard
The Postmortal by Drew Magary (currently reading )

currently reading

2011-12-24T03:11:00.000-06:00

The Postmortal

by
Drew Magary

Shanghai Jim

2011-12-17T23:48:00.000-06:00

Bookmark follows JG Ballard from Shepperton to Shanghai and back, looking at the scenes of his life which inspired his autobiographical novels.

books on wheels

2011-12-10T14:21:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Boing Boing for pointing me towards this article.

The Unlimited Dream Company

2011-12-05T23:16:00.001-06:00

The Unlimited Dream Company

J.G. Ballard

gimme

2011-12-04T23:36:00.001-06:00

Here's a list of books I'd like to receive as holiday gifts, in case Santa is reading this blog.

The BLDGBLOG Book by Geoff Manaugh
Rowlf/Underground 3 by Richard Corben. I used to own this one. It was stolen, cherry picked, I feel from my Corben collection.
Homunculus by James P. Blaylock
The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature by Jeff VanderMeer and S.J. Chambers
Ocean of Lard (Choose Your Own Mindfuck Fest #17) by Carlton Mellick III
High-Rise: A Novel by J.G. Ballard. I recently saw an old episode of Doctor Who that was inspired by this book.
Stage Rigging Handbook, Third Edition by Jay O. Glerum. I don't want this one, so much as I need it. It's the text book I'm supposed to study as an apprentice stagehand in the union. As we've only had one class in the last year It's the only way I might be able to pass my journeyman's exam.
The Wise Man's Fear (Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 2) by Patrick Rothfuss
Jim and the Flims by Rudy Rucker
The Steampunk Trilogy by Paul Di Filippo
Suzy, Led Zeppelin, and Me by Martin Millar

Bourdain at bookstore

2011-11-29T14:44:00.001-06:00

Anthony Bourdain and Harvey Pekar visit Zubal Books in Cleveland. This amazing bookstore houses over 750,000 rare, scholarly and out of print books.

Starship Titanic

2011-11-24T01:13:00.001-06:00

Douglas Adams's

Starship Titanic

Terry Jones

hello vertical

2011-11-14T19:42:00.001-06:00

This is the first book I read by K. W. Jeter. I used to read Spin magazine back in high school. It turned me onto some cool stuff. I saw a recommendation for this book in an issue one time and went out and bought it. I think it's one that I read halfway, set it down for a few months, then went back and finished. It's a good book with a really unusual setting. I think it took me awhile to get used to, but I'm glad I dove back in and read it to the end. The only other book I've read by this author is The Dream Fields.

The Steampunk Bible

2011-11-13T13:47:00.001-06:00

The Steampunk Bible panel was filmed at the Steampunk World's Fair 2011 in New Jersey. This panel showcased the book The Steampunk Bible. This panel was hosted by co-author S.J Chambers with contributors Jake Von Slatt, Ay-Leen The Peacemaker, Jaymee Goh, Ekaterina Sedia, Dr. Grymm and Margaret Killjoy. This is Part One of Two.

You can see more content at http://www.nerdcaliber.com

Founders of Steampunk

2011-11-12T00:33:00.001-06:00

Filmed by Moses Siregar III at World Fantasy Convention, 10/29/11.

shelf

2011-11-07T14:38:00.001-06:00

cool

currently reading

2011-11-06T00:58:00.001-05:00

Infernal Devices

K.W. Jeter

too much info

2011-10-26T13:23:00.001-05:00

Spider Robinson

2011-10-17T14:00:00.001-05:00

Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

2011-10-17T01:32:00.000-05:00

Time Travelers Strictly Cash

Spider Robinson

speaking of writing

2011-10-05T13:38:00.001-05:00

ICON 2008, Steven Brust GOH speaks about writing and worldly stuff.
I like his hat and shirt. He looks like a roadie.

currently reading

2011-10-02T01:11:00.001-05:00

Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille

Steven Brust

Navin R. Johnson

2011-09-22T02:46:00.001-05:00

prune of tomorrow

2011-09-20T12:53:00.001-05:00

Dandelion Wine

2011-09-19T03:41:00.001-05:00

Dandelion Wine

Ray Bradbury

september city

2011-09-15T00:16:00.000-05:00

I went to the mall for lunch the other day. I had a gyro with extra meat and no fries because I wanna be skinny like the spiderman. After eating, I went for a walk around the mall cuz I'm old. Just kidding. I saw a sign that said there's a new bookstore downstairs next to Macy's. I went and looked. There's actually a tattoo shop next to Macy's. Next to the tattoo shop is the new used bookstore. I think it was called Fine Books. I went inside for a closer look. No new books anywhere. Seemed kind of like a smallish selection. Nowhere near as big as Gardner's, but lots better than the used bookstore in the strip mall across the street that seems to have nothing but paperback romance novels. I glanced over their limited sci-fi selection. No Rucker, no Sheckley. I did however spot one by Wm. Rotsler and a few by G.A. Effinger. I ended up buying The October Country by Ray Bradbury. I'll be back for the others. I believe they buy and trade as well as sell, so perhaps next time I'll see more stuff.
There used to be a bookstore in the mall. I think it was Waldenbooks. They only sold new books and magazines. It was way different. That closed about a year ago. The bigger mall out south used to have a Waldenbooks and a B. Dalton. Those are long gone now. Both malls now have Barnes and Nobles across the street from them. I haven't been out to that big mall in a long time. It's farther away and the traffic out there sucks. There were no bookstores in there last time I visited. I wonder now if that's changed. Probably not.

Interstellar Pig

2011-09-13T01:51:00.000-05:00

Interstellar Pig

William Sleator

Lizard Music

2011-09-09T02:27:00.001-05:00

Lizard Music

Daniel Manus Pinkwater

Book Club

2011-09-06T14:50:00.000-05:00

want

2011-08-29T01:08:00.001-05:00

Al Jaffee's fold-ins, on the inside back cover of virtually every issue of MAD Magazine since 1964, have become an icon of American humor. Generations have grown up with Jaffee's inspired skewerings of our foibles and cultural conundrums. Issue after issue, each Fold-in requires the reader to simply fold the page so that arrow A meets arrow B to reveal the hidden gag image, a simple idea that masks both undeniable artistic ingenuity and comic timing. In this deluxe four-volume set, each of the 410 fold-ins is reproduced at its original size, with a digital representation of the corresponding "folded" image on the following page (so collectors won't have to "fold" their book to get the jokes). Featuring insightful essays by such luminaries as Pixar's Pete Docter and humorist Jules Feiffer, The MAD Fold-In Collection is the definitive gift for the millions of fans who've grown up with MAD for nearly 60 years.

the Unbeliever

2011-08-27T14:13:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty sure this book's not actually called Asshole Leper Hero. But there is really an author named Stephen R. Donaldson. I browsed and briefly considered getting one of his books at the used bookstore once. Not sure what the real title of this one is, but I laughed when I first saw it and eventually became interested in the series, which may be accurately described by the fake title seen here. Haven't bought or read one yet, but I might eventually because the Wikipedia description sounds kind of interesting.

sports

2011-08-24T22:37:00.002-05:00

Idle Pleasures

George Alec Effinger

at the library 9

2011-08-23T22:06:00.001-05:00

new stack

2011-08-23T16:05:00.001-05:00

I went back to Gardner's today. I spent about twenty bucks. Here's what I got:

I Sing the Body Electric! by Ray Bradbury
The Wonderful World of Robert Sheckley by Robert Sheckley
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
Lizard Music by D. Manus Pinkwater
Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini
Blade Runner 2: The Edge of Human by K.W. Jeter

currently reading

2011-08-18T20:54:00.001-05:00

The Boy Who Reversed Himself

William Sleator

Love in the Time of Scurvy

2011-08-13T13:35:00.000-05:00

Skinny Malinky

2011-08-10T15:06:00.003-05:00

The War Between the Pitiful Teachers and the Splendid Kids

Stanley Kiesel

Skinny Malinky Leads the War for Kidness

Stanley Kiesel

I read these a long time ago but I still have them. I remembered them recently and had to recommend them. I might have to re-read them soon. Here's a link to a great article I found while searching for info about these books. It contains a good description of the first one here, as well as a few other excellent YA titles I remember reading.

To the Land of the Electric Angel

2011-07-31T01:02:00.004-05:00

To the Land of the Electric Angel

William Rotsler

guns & books

2011-07-30T04:48:00.001-05:00

upside

2011-07-24T16:07:00.001-05:00

One should read above their heads.

teachings

2011-07-18T18:13:00.000-05:00

Towards a New Architecture

Le Corbusier

The Anubis Gates

2011-07-16T04:05:00.002-05:00

The Anubis Gates

Tim Powers

vistas

2011-07-15T00:09:00.000-05:00

book learning

2011-07-14T02:02:00.002-05:00

at the library 8

2011-07-13T05:20:00.001-05:00

How To Carry Your Books At School

2011-07-08T03:51:00.002-05:00

book signing

2011-07-07T15:22:00.001-05:00

currently reading

2011-06-29T00:04:00.003-05:00

Sooner Dead by Mel Odom

Medium Raw

2011-06-14T15:20:00.000-05:00

currently reading

2011-06-13T15:35:00.001-05:00

that foot book

2011-06-09T00:20:00.000-05:00

Dinner at Eight

2011-06-08T03:32:00.001-05:00

Very funny and clever comedy clip from the film Dinner at Eight. Jean Harlow describes reading a book about the future. Legendary comedienne Marie Dressler makes witty reply. This is a CLASSIC clip from 1933.

Girl in Landscape

2011-06-02T01:36:00.001-05:00

Born to Rock

2011-05-24T00:23:00.001-05:00

Architecture of Happiness

2011-05-17T01:17:00.003-05:00

I had already been reading this one for a while now. It's one of those back up books that I keep in my car that I switch to if I get tired of my current read. I don't always take them too seriously and often abandon reading them for months or even years. Tonight I finished reading Palahniuk, but then couldn't decide which book to pick up next. Too many options. I decided to upgrade this one from light to current. By the time I finish reading this one, I'll maybe be more decisive about choosing the next book.

how to throw a hand grenade

2011-05-14T04:37:00.000-05:00

currently reading

2011-05-07T03:43:00.002-05:00

the used bookstore

2011-05-01T17:42:00.007-05:00

It was a cold, wet and rainy day today. Sunday, my day off. So I went out to the used bookstore. It's been a couple months since I last went out there. I drove a different car back then, before the blizzard. I used up the remaining credit from my last visit and spent $10 more to get these 3 books:
-Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
-Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem
-Blackbriar by William Sleator
Lethem is quickly becoming one of my new favorites as I've quite enjoyed all the books I've read by him. Almost every book of his I've bought was found at the used bookstore. Gun, With Occasional Music was the only one I got new at B&N. I couldn't believe that I found another William Sleator. I'm never going to run out. As soon as I start reading the next one, I'll find another next time I go out there. Which is good, I haven't read a bad book by this author yet.

Others See Us

2011-04-28T13:10:00.000-05:00

by William Sleator

fantasy trilogy

2011-04-27T16:30:00.004-05:00

Almost done reading NOTW. It's real good. I will now finish my trilogy of fantasy recommendations. Dragonlance was the first fantasy series I ever read and it was a gateway into Dungeons & Dragons for me. A friend loaned me a D&D module, DL1. In it were character descriptions, a 3D map and details regarding monsters, treasure and non-player characters. All kinds of fascinating stuff that described the setting for an exciting story. It was my first role playing adventure and later my first dungeon mastering adventure. I read the whole trilogy, book by book, as they came out, as well as the next trilogy, Legends. Favorite character: Tasselhoff Burrfoot. I tried to read LOTR later, but couldn't get into it until after I saw the first movie. Then I had to read Two Towers to find out what happened to Merry and Pippen. (Spoiler) They escaped.

nerd alert

2011-04-24T15:40:00.003-05:00

Happy Easter sunday. The mall was closed today but B&N was open. Today is the day we celebrate that magic man that came back from the dead. That's right, I'm talking about Doctor Who. I don't have Uverse anymore or else I'd be watching it right now. At least I've got an old Tom Baker episode on DVD. A six-part story co-starring Elisabeth Sladen (RIP) as Sarah Jane. I also got a couple of books today:
The Essential Enthusiast's Handbook - Architecture A Spotter's Guide - Classical Temples to Soaring Skyscrapers by Sarah Cunliffe, Sara Hunt, Jean Loussier. It was on sale, plus, being really in to Minecraft and the Sims, I've kind of developed an interest in architecture.
Sooner Dead by Mel Odom. Post-Apocalyptic Mayhem in Gamma, Oklahoma! This is a Gamma World book. Gamma World is like futuristic Dungeons & Dragons. I had to check it out. Boomer Sooner.

Gord the Rogue

2011-04-22T02:12:00.003-05:00

Here's one that I read I don't know how long ago. It is the story of a young orphan beggar who grows up to become a master thief acrobat and swashbuckling hero. Parts of Name of the Wind kind of reminds me of this book. I probably would never have read it if I hadn't been into Dungeons and Dragons at the time. It's the only one of the Greyhawk adventures I've ever read.

recommended fantasy

2011-04-10T01:47:00.004-05:00

I just realized that Name of the Wind is the first fantasy book I've read since starting this blog. The last fantasy author I was really into a few years back was Fritz Leiber. I first read a short story about Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser in an anthology called Magic for Sale. I later read Swords and Deviltry and got hooked. My all time favorite story was Lean Times in Lankhmar from Swords in the Mist. That story made me laugh out loud, seriously. I still crack up inside when I think about it.

Patrick Rothfuss

2011-04-07T12:46:00.001-05:00

The Name of the Wind

2011-04-05T21:43:00.001-05:00

by Patrick Rothfuss

Robert Sheckley

2011-03-29T05:07:00.001-05:00

This is part one of a seven part interview. I didn't feel like embedding them all, but the rest is out there on youtube in case you're interested.

ABC3D

2011-03-27T00:58:00.000-05:00

Funny Book Thing

2011-03-24T23:29:00.000-05:00

multitasking

2011-03-22T22:09:00.001-05:00

F@*k A Book

2011-03-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Notions: Unlimited

2011-03-17T00:03:00.000-05:00

Robert Sheckley

Amnesia Moon

2011-03-04T13:14:00.002-06:00

Amnesia Moon

Jonathan Lethem

Risque Little Women

2011-02-27T01:50:00.000-06:00

the mix up

2011-02-23T12:01:00.000-06:00

Star

2011-02-22T01:03:00.000-06:00

steal these books

2011-02-14T12:50:00.001-06:00

Less

2011-02-11T23:47:00.002-06:00

When I finish reading a book, it's like winning a national championship, despite losing two games. I'm not a coach, but that's kinda what it's like.

foodie

2011-02-07T03:21:00.004-06:00

Comfort Me With Apples

More Adventures at the Table

by Ruth Reichl

Green Bay won the Super Bowl, so I'm going to read this book. I'm kind of glad too. I was really wanting to read a book about food. Congratulations Cheeseheads.

Gonzo

2011-02-04T22:35:00.001-06:00

Should've been a librarian

2011-02-03T13:11:00.000-06:00

I'm Reading a Book

2011-02-01T20:21:00.000-06:00

books for free

2011-01-31T14:16:00.005-06:00

I had a little over a hundred dollars worth of receipts from Gardner's used books, so I brought them back in today. It entitled me to around seventeen dollars worth of free book. Here's what I scored:

Ribsy by Beverly Cleary - This was the first book I ever read all by myself back in 1978. I picked it up for nostalgic reasons.
5 Novels by Daniel Pinkwater - Hardback, contains: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy From Mars, Slaves of Spiegel, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, The Last Guru, Young Adult Novel. I've got Snarkout Boys and Guru. Reread Snarkout Boys a few years ago. Can't wait to reread Guru. The rest are new to me.
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury - I saw Something Wicked This Way Comes and Martian Chronicles when I was really young, so long ago that I barely remember anything about them. I've been meaning to read something by Bradbury ever since I saw this video. This book was unsorted among the new arrivals in sci-fi, so I grabbed it.
The Last Coin by James P. Blaylock - I had brought a short list of recommended steampunk titles and was searching for Homunculus by James Blaylock. Couldn't find it. Got this one instead.
Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem - I didn't even read the description on the back of the book, I saw the name and snatched it off the shelf. I read three books by this author last year, all good.

I wandered all over that store for at least an hour or two and after checking out I still had a couple of dollars store credit left.

book mod

2011-01-27T00:30:00.003-06:00

I tried to post something earler, yesterday. It was a funny video about a kid doing a book report about Mein Kampf. I removed it because it had an ad in front of it and the content later changed to a non book related video that featured Will Ferrel having a drunken argument with a toddler. Sounds funny. Here's this instead.

this/that

2011-01-24T01:13:00.004-06:00

Super Bowl time again. Steelers versus Packers, sounds like it's going to be an awesome game. Can't wait. Don't know who'll win, I don't have a favorite. But, anyway it's time for my traditional Super Bowl options thing I do. That's where I read one book if one team wins, or another if the other team wins.
Here goes. Comfort Me With Apples by Ruth Reichl represents food, so I'll read that if the cheese heads are victorious. Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling is a sci-fi book about technology and industry, I think. That kind of fits for Pittsburgh, so I'll read it if black and yellow prevails.

craft

2011-01-23T12:47:00.003-06:00

I've been playing minecraft a lot lately, so maybe I'm not gonna read as many books this year because I'm kind of addicted to this computer game. But anyway, here's a video that's book related and minecraft related as well.

first book of the year

2011-01-15T00:17:00.003-06:00

Steampunk'd

edited by

Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg

I found this one at the grocery store across the street from my house.

Klingon dictionary

2011-01-14T01:15:00.000-06:00

Three Little Pigs

2011-01-12T21:20:00.001-06:00

2010

2011-01-01T23:04:00.004-06:00

Books I read this year.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge
Maps & Legends by Michael Chabon
Ruby and the Stone Age Diet by Martin Millar
And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer
Sewer, Gas & Electric by Matt Ruff*
Singularity by William Sleator
Night of the Living Rat by Doyle & McDonald
The Wall of the Sky, The Wall of the Eye by Jonathan Lethem
Losing Joe's Place by Gordon Korman
Dreams of Sex and Stage Diving by Martin Millar
Little Heroes by Norman Spinrad*
The Duplicate by William Sleator
Shards of Space by Robert Sheckley
Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk
A Model World by Michael Chabon
Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff
Strange Attractors by William Sleator
Gun, With Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem
VALIS by Philip K. Dick
The Boy Who Couldn't Die by William Sleator
As She Climbed Across the Table by Jonathan Lethem
Mechasm by John Sladek
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
House of Stairs by William Sleator
The Wild Boys by William S. Burroughs

*indicates book that I started prior to this year and finished reading this year.

book cart

2010-12-24T22:13:00.000-06:00