February, 2008
February 6th, 2008, 9:48 p.m. - Bring on the actual good stuff
February 7th, 2008, 5:39 p.m. - The tradition continues
Survivor: Micronesia roundtable
February 10th, 2008, 12:50 p.m. - Ironically, Ricky's model looks like she could star in that particular Whitney Houston music video
7:49 p.m. - Awww, Tick, you can be my little sister
3. Empire Falls (Richard Russo)
Empire Falls is about a lot of things - family, relationships, fate, choices - but it's mostly about change. If we spend our whole lives wanting to make a change, what happens when we're finally presented with the opportunity to change? What if the change we want isn't what we need? What if one choice changes everything? How do we live with ourselves for setting in motion an entirely different course of action than what would have been set in motion if we'd simply made a different choice?
I like Russo's style of writing; it's mostly straightforward without a lot of the flourishes many contemporary writers like to use (or overuse - I'm looking at you, Jodi Picoult) in their novels. But at times his metaphors are a little heavy-handed. Still, he took a simple concept - the lives of people in a small, dying town - and turned it into something much more complex, which is often hard to do, or at least hard to do in a fulfilling manner.
Oh, and shut up, Janine.
Up next: Intern (Sandeep Jauhar)
February 13th, 2008, 11:06 p.m. - Top 24, holla!
February 17th, 2008, 4:19 p.m. - Aww, Sweet P
5:02 p.m. - Remind me to avoid hospitals
4. Intern (Sandeep Jauhar)
In Intern, Jauhar gives a very honest, almost exposé-like look at what it's like to be a new doctor. It makes me never want to be treated by an intern. They're scared, they're inexperienced, and sometimes, like Jauhar, they don't even want to be doctors. Jauhar spent some of his first intern year writing articles for the New York Times about the sorry state of the hospital where he was working, and thank goodness for that, because some of his fellow doctors were just ridiculous. Interns should definitely have more practical training than they get before being shoved into the real world - they don't learn nearly enough in med school. Jauhar's tales of his experiences are almost refreshing in their honesty, and I admire his willingness to admit his reluctance to actually work in such a job.
Up next: American Band (Kristen Laine)
February 21st, 2008, 5:46 p.m. - Yeah, I'm going to run out of "girls" references really soon
February 24th, 2008, 9:10 p.m. - So many delusional people
February 27th, 2008, 11:41 p.m. - Marching band is to Indiana as football is to Texas
5. American Band (Kristen Laine)
Laine spent a year or so at a high school in Indiana renowned for its marching band. Not only does she expose how difficult it is for everyone involved to put together just six minutes of a show, but she also gets deep into the emotions and thoughts of her subjects. The best portrayal is of Grant, a senior who strives to be a leader, learn what God wants of him, and keep the band together while going through personal and spiritual crises. He's the kind of kid you want to see get a happy ending because he deserves it and he's worked so hard for it. The next time I see a marching band perform, I'll remember this book and think about how much hard work teenagers put into every step and every note. It becomes their whole life, in some ways. They're really committed to it.
Up next: Hats and Eyeglasses (Martha Frankel)
February 28th, 2008, 11:31 p.m. - Double-header