Recently Read:

Animal Crackers (stories) by Hannah Tinti. The comparisons to Aimee Bender in the blurbs drew my attention. They're far far different writers and at first, I was skeptical of Tinti's mainstream-style, voice, and subject matter. She may reference the weird every once in a while but make no mistake, this is different literary fic-material. And yet, it won me over! There's only a handful of stories in this little book but they all have a lot of dimension and personality. Her prose is more sharp and witty than it is lazy (my main problem with most mainstream lit) and that is a definite plus. Recommended.

If Andy Warhol Had A Girlfriend by Alison Pace. I bought this book while I was in New York at the NY Art Expo. It's about a girl who works in an art gallery for a big artist and travels the world with him. I thought it would be fun and relate-able and some sections were. Most, though, revolved around the excruciatingly predictable dating life of the main character. Descriptions of foreign cities felt like she was looking at photographs at Barnes and Noble and overall the prose was limp and boring (the most vile sin!) It's a light, easy, read, perfect (i would think) for sitting on the beach on a calm Saturday afternoon; if you're into that type of thing. Forgettable.

So Yesterday by Scott Westerfield. This is so my type of book. This is the stuff I wish I was reading when I was teenager (instead of innumerable Star Wars and Star Trek novels). This book had an extreme amount of fun packed under two hundred pages, likeable characters, fun, fast, action sequences and a hilarious enclosed vocabulary. It reminded me of my high school days - or more likely, my dreams of what my high school days should have been. A great ride.

Right now, I'm reading Philip Roth's classic Portnoy's Complaint based off the recommendation of a former teacher of mine. It's a perverse and hilarious, a joyous combination. Enjoying it a lot.