Somewhere Over the Sun

I’ve told my readers that, if you want to be better writers, be whores and sleep with as many books as possible. You can start with Somewhere Over the Sun, and then move on to the following list of books I’ve read this year. You can find Parts 1 and 2 by clicking on the 1 and 2 I just gave you. The first set. Not the second. You know how to use the internet. 

27. The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2010, Edited by Dave Eggers- Fairly typical of this series. Contained some wonderful pieces, some forgettable ones. 3/5.

28. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan- Some elements of the book seem like they should be flaws- tons of characters, not always connected by anything more than a paper-thin thread; not a very structure plot, per se; fragmented scenes- but they refuse to be flaws. They’re actually pretty fantastic. Maybe it’s because I’m intellectually in love with Egan’s work and I just see the sun shining out her ass no matter what she does. 5/5

29. Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean- As always, Susan Orlean tells an interesting story interstingly. She’s a master of insight, of bringing out these little elements of a story that might not be entirely obvious. And even when they might be considered obvious, she’s got such a great writing voice that it feels special to hear her point it out. 4/5

30. La Ciudad y Los Perros by Mario Vargas Llosa- A classic book about a military academy in Peru and its effect on the teenage cadets. Alternates between being great and hard to get through. 3/5

31. Franny and Zooey by J.D Salinger- A book about people that don’t have problems and desperately want to. Great monologues and presents an interesting family, but sometimes you feel like smacking the characters and telling them to get over themselves. Which is probably exactly what they want. 3/5

32. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom- An emotionally powerful and spirituallly moving book, yes. Important subject matter and a character that deserves not one book, but several. As literature, though, it was not as captivating I feel it could have been, especially since it’s a true story. 3/5

33. Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino- Wonderfully imaginative. An impulse buy at an airport and almost completely read by the time I landed. Entertaining and creative. 4/5

34. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides- Love his writing style, which shines throughout the book and at times threatened to infect my own. Great characters and often moving. 4/5

35. Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris- Whimsical and heartfelt. It’s a very unique book that manages to be both funny, lighthearted and very moving. 5/5

36. Edible Stories by Mark Kurlansky- A collection of short stories, loosely tied together into what makes a pretty satisfying meal. The writing didn’t pop, but it was an enjoyable read and an intriguing concept. 3/5

37. Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery- A wonderful book that makes life itself feel like an adventure. Saint-Exupery brings a childlike sense of wonder to very adult notions, and while I was reading the book, I could feel it spreading to me. The translation is a little clunky, I feel, but other than that, a great book that, as the New York Times so eloquently put it, “…should be read against the confusion of this world.” 5/5

38. The Best American Short Stories 2008, Edited by Salman Rushdie- Doesn’t stick out as my favorite from the Best American series. All solid stories, but none that really made me want to rave about them. 3.5/5

39. This Must Be the Place by Anna Winger- Very strong characters and writing voice. Enjoyable and full of powerful emotional moments. 4/5

40. Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman(s)- Incredibly interesting, especially because the writer is so obviously passionate, enthralled by and in love with his subject matter. I’m not typically a non-fiction reader, but some of this stuff reads like magic anyway, so I didn’t notice the change. After reading this and the author’s fiction, Sum, I’m convinced David Eagleman is one of the most fascinating minds around. I’m even a little jealous of the people who get to converse with him on a daily basis. 5/5

41. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami- I think my favorite part about this book was the dialogue, the way the characters interact with each other. They all have the patented Murakami weirdness, as well as a haunting loneliness to them. But the book is not as haunting as all his others. An engaging read, albeit not the happiest one around. Funny, too. 4/5

I have the desire to tell you about my evening and you can do nothing to stop it. 

After adding 1,000 words to a short story, I took a walk around Polanco. It hasn’t rained in the last couple of days, but this was my first opportunity to enjoy the weather. Even after I had decided what to do, I took a couple of pointless laps around, looking at the scattering of people enjoying late lunches on the makeshift patios of restaurants in the area. 

I ordered a Belgian beer and took a seat a table away from a cute girl and her friend. My choice of seating was easily interpreted, I’m sure. I wonder how many coffee shops are actively cognizant of just how much attractive customers are good for business. From where I sat, I could hear the music of both the coffee shop I was at and the restaurant next door. At times the music overlapped, but the soft jazz covers of old pop songs playing overhead and the next door selection of rock hits mostly took turns grabbing onto my attention.

It was not as warm as I would have liked, but I ordered a dinner of cheese and bread and read my book. In some other place, the author I’m reading wrote, “I know what I love, still, now. That’s a confidence. If you don’t know what you love, you are lost.” Even if there are other things to want and love, I knew that I loved what I was doing, so I poured more olive oil and balsamic vinegar into my dish and read on. “When everything is lonely, I can be my own best friend,” a song emphasized on my walk back home.

A couple walks by looks at my dinner with what I assume is approval. Cute girl and her friend move indoors then back out for a cigarette. They leave while I’m mid-paragraph and I don’t notice. An ambulance is stuck in traffic, drowning out both sets of speakers for a couple of minutes, then Elvis takes over. 

I come across the following quotation in my book, “You know how they’ve got these cookie assortments, and you like some but you don’t like others? And you eat up all the ones you like, and the only ones left are the ones you don’t like so much? I always think about that when something painful comes up. Now I just have to polish these off and everything’ll be O.K. Life is a box of cookies.” Since the book was published in 1987 and Forrest Gump came out in 1994, I figure whoever wrote Forrest Gump is sneaky. But then I realized that the first English translation of Norwegian Wood by Murakami came out in 2000, so unless the writer was reading in French or Chinese or Norwegian, it might just be a matter of great minds thinking alike. Then while writing that last paragraph, I found out Forrest Gump was originally a novel written in 1986. So there you go.