Reading List: December

To compensate for last month's paucity, I have managed to read twelve (12!) books this month, bringing my total count this year to 63 books and 62 graphic novels or trade paperbacks or whatever you want to call them. 63 books is only a little bit over half of what Stephen King read this year (100 books), but it is my personal best since I started keeping track of what I read in 2001 (2005 held the record with 62 books, but not anymore). And now that you've had more than enough useless statistics, this is what I read in December:

Kushiel’s Dart
A disappointing novel by Jacqueline Carey, I already told you about it here.

What-the-Dickens
A somewhat entertaining story by Gregory Maguire, I already told you about it here.

Gears of War
The first graphic novel I read this month, this trade collects issues 1-6 of the regular series, and I have to say I was not very impressed. The story by Joshua Ortega, who wrote the second game, is not very interesting, and the artwork by Liam Sharp left me indifferent. The characters do talk like they do in the game, but other than that, the games are much more entertaining than this comic book.

Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
A terrific book by Brandon Mull, I already told you how great it is here.

The Grand Tour
Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer join forces again in this utterly forgettable follow up to Sorcery and Cecelia, a book I haven't read, and that, given how little I enjoyed TGT, I never will. I just didn't care about the characters or the story, and even though I have a feeling I should have found the story fun and entertaining, I did not.

The Infernal City
A compelling novel by the great Greg Keyes, I already told you about it here.

Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague
An amazingly fun yarn, I already told you how awesome it is here.

Puff, the Magic Dragon
Where the Wild Things Are
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
I read these three classic children's books because all my girls were making fun of me for not being familiar with the stories. Plus, they were a great way to beef up this list. I know, I know --I'm shameless.

Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
Have I told you already how awesome this series is? I think I might have, but I'm not really sure. At any rate, the last book comes out in March, and I can't wait to get it!

Lo que no vengo a decir
The latest collection of articles by the wise Javier Marías, Lo que no vengo a decir is a great read, both because of what he says and because how he says it. I love the way he writes, and I usually find myself agreeing with what he is saying. If you've never read anything by the Spanish author, you're certainly missing out.

Off Season
A bloody tale of death and cannibalism by Jack Ketchum, Off Season was gruesome fun, and definitely not for the weak of stomach.

Deadpool: Secret Invasion
The second graphic novel I read this month, I bought it because I like Deadpool, and because the artwork by Paco Medina looked amazing. It was a fun read, and beautiful to look at, yet I don't know that I'll continue buying the series. We'll see...

Nightmare World
In this first volume, Thirteen Tales of Terror, Dirk Manning and a variety of artists tell, well, thirteen tales of terror. There wasn't any story I didn't like, and the artwork was acceptable in most of them. (The cover illustration is still my favorite, though.) All in all, it was a fun read, and I will probably get the second volume when it comes out.

So that's it for 2009. Here's to another sixty books next year!

My Favorite Movies of 2009

2009 is gone, but it brought us plenty of awesome movies. As opposed to the last couple of years, in which I could easily choose the best movie of the year (Hellboy II in 2008, Stardust in 2007), I cannot do that this time, and I will explain why in a second. I have been forced to leave a lot of great movies out of this list, but I could easily make a Top 20, I enjoyed so many movies so much this year. But I'll stop rambling now. These were my favorite movies in 2009:

1. Inglourious Basterds and Star Trek
In my opinion, these two were the best movies of 2009, but I find it impossible to choose one over the other. Both movies presented an interesting universe with a cool story that was both very original and presented a fresh, clever take on some familiar elements. Both movies were packed with action, tension, suspense, and had strategically-placed humorous one liners all over. Both movies were very well acted, with spectacularly compelling characters, and were a blast to watch. I saw them both twice in theaters, and I have already bought Star Trek on DVD, but haven't watched it already. (Inglourious Basterds was sold out, so I couldn't get it when I went to buy ST.) The only difference between these two films is the tone, IB being dark and bloody, and ST being much lighter fare. How to choose, then? Sometimes you're in the mood for shiny action-adventure, and some other times you'd rather watch something grim and gritty. That's why I can't choose, and I therefore award both films with the prestigious Jhannian Movie of the Year Award. Congratulations!
Read my original reviews here and here.

3. Up
Technically brilliant, Up was also funny, heartrending, surprising, and incredibly moving. Once again, Pixar showed us creativity is key, and originality will put you ahead of everyone else. One of Pixar's top five films, and that's saying a lot.
Read my original review here.

4. Sherlock Holmes
I like all things Victorian, and when you add a detective (and not just any detective), audacious action scenes, sharp costumes, and great actors, chances are I'm going to love the movie. Like I said in my original review, I found it quite original and supremely entertaining, and I'll make sure I get it on DVD as soon as it comes out.

5. The Hangover
The surprise hit of the year, The Hangover was outrageously funny, twisted, and impossible to predict. I laughed so hard all throughout the movie I was surprised I wasn't crying by the time it was over. Certainly one of the most enjoyable movies of the year.
Read my original review here.

6. Zombieland
I have just realized that, so far, all the movies on this list were original in more than one way, and that's probably why I liked them the best. Zombieland surprised me on so many levels that I can't talk about it without spoiling most of the film. The movie was hilarious, with great characters and the acting was dead on (lame pun intended). Even if you don't like zombie movies, you should give this rollercoaster of a film a chance, and see what happens.
Read my original review here.

7. Avatar
Had Avatar's story been more original, it would have been much higher on this list. Still, it was groundbreaking in more than one sense, and Zoë Saldana as Neytiri elevated the movie more than I would have thought possible. Definitely worth seeing in theaters to make the most of its glorious visuals.
Read my original review here.

8. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Most everyone seemed to dislike this movie, but I really, really liked it. As a matter of fact, I just watched it on DVD again, and I simply loved it. Sure, there are a couple of things that were left hanging, but I liked the story, and the combination of Wolverine, Gambit, and Deadpool is simply irresistible to me.
Read my original review here.

9. The Proposal
I was going to choose District 9 over this comedy, but the truth is that, amazing as Neill Blomkamp's movie was, I enjoyed The Proposal a lot more. I am a sucker for comedy, I know that, and this one is plain hilarious. The chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds is out of this world, and even though its plot is as by-the-numbers as Avatar's, I still had a great time at the movies.
Read my original review here.

10. Drag Me To Hell
The last movie of the list is another example of unoriginal elements that somehow made for a supremely entertaining story. I think it was because I was rooting for the main character the whole time, but it could simply be that Sam Raimi is an old pro and knows what he's doing.
Read my original review here.

And that's it for 2009. Like I said, I could have included plenty of other great movies, such as 9, District 9, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, or Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, but I tried really hard to stick to only ten films. Still, having had such a hard time choosing only ten means there were lots of enjoyable movies to choose from, which is always a good thing. Let's see what 2010 brings to the big screen...

2009 Top Ten Books

Let's face it: my top tens will never have only ten entries, and I'm not even going to try to make up an excuse this time. If you think you can deal with that, please read on to find the "ten" books I enjoyed the most this year.

1. The Pillars of the Earth
Easily the best book I read in 2009, Ken Follett's undying classic is absolutely amazing, as I already told you here. Thank you again, my dear Hal, for getting it for me.

2. The Dresden Files
This year I read the first nine books in the series (there are eleven so far), and every single one of them was great. For Jim Butcher to crank them out so regularly and have each novel be better than the previous one is nothing short of amazing. Thank you, Nash, for getting me started!

3. Fablehaven
This series by Brandon Mull will consist of five books, four of which are already out and are terrific fun to read, as I've already mentioned several times. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

4. El club Dumas
This might be my favorite novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, and it is phenomenal from beginning to end. If you still haven't read it, you're wasting time.

5. The Alphabet Mysteries
I read a bunch of Kinsey Millhone advetures this year (from K to T, as a matter of fact), and this series by Sue Grafton never disappoints. I will single out T is for Trespass as one of my favorites, but every novel in the series is just great.

6. Which Lie Did I Tell?
Another book Halagan got for me, William Goldman's adventures as a screenwriting were tremendously interesting. It's weird that I don't read more non-fiction books, because the few I do read I tend to enjoy a lot.

7. Percy Jackson & The Olympians
After reading four out of the five books in this series by Rick Riordan, I can say that I am dying to see The Lightning Thief, the movie based on the first book. I hope it is a big success, so that they turn them all into cool films.

8. Victory of Eagles
The fifth book in the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik, I think Peter Jackson said (at the San Diego Comic Con) the sixth one will be the last one. Whether or not this turns out to be the case, you could do much worse than getting to know this particular dragon and his captain, the way-too-proper Laurence.

9. Smoke and Mirrors
A collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman, Smoke and Mirrors is wildly imaginative, and you will read each and every tale in the book with a sense of wonder and enjoyment like you have rarely experienced.

10. The Infernal City
Of course Greg Keyes had to pop up on this list at some point. I already told you how much I enjoyed this short novel, and I can't wait to read the second and last part of the story.

And that's it for 2009. What awesome books will I read next year? Well, I'm about to find out!

Victory- an

I just came back from seeing Sherlock Holmes, and I am glad to say it was as awesome as I expected. The acting was great, but I shouldn't be surprised, seeing the movie stars Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, and Rachel McAdams. I loved their portrayal of the characters, and I actually liked the more physical and action-oriented take on the classic characters. That is not to say this is an action movie, but those scenes blend seamlessly with the more cerebral work Holmes does throughout the film, and I, for one, enjoyed it tremendously.

The story kept surprising me and kept me guessing, and after having seen Avatar with its ultra trite plot, SH was a breath of fresh air. And still, I'm sure Halagan will be able to point out fine details and things and parts that either don't make much sense, are not necessary, or contradict something else. Well, since I will probably go see this movie again, I'll pay extra attention and try to catch any goofs or inconsistencies in the story.

All in all, Sherlock Holmes delivers the goods, and I can't wait for this to become a great franchise. The last great movie of the year!

Seriously Sibilant Susurri

The Wench With a Million Sighs is the first Empowered book to be released as a floppy instead of a big, meaty OGN. According to Adam Warren, the material in this comic book will not be collected in volume 6 (coming out next year) but 7 (out sometime in 2011), but even if it was to be part of volume 6, I would have still bought it to support him. The reason? Empowered is laugh-out-loud funny. You know how you always read reviews saying a particular book or author is so funny you will laugh out loud when you read it in public and people will look at you funny? Well, that never happens to me (except for being looked at funny; that does happen, but for entirely different reasons), no matter how much I am assured and guaranteed I will laugh out loud, either in public or at home. I might laugh once or twice, and chuckle a few more times, but that's it. David Sedaris doesn't make me laugh out loud as much as he apparently does other people. Same with Dave Barry. Bill Bryson and Terry Pratchett get better results, yet not as often as I would expect based on other people's comments. But Adam Warren does. His art is beautiful, but his writing is insanely good. When I say the dialogue (or maybe I should say different monologues) in this book made me laugh out loud, I am not exaggerating. The Caged Demonwolf's alliterative combos are so audacious, so ludicrous, so wildly imaginative, and so spectacularly literate and nonsensical at the same time that I actually read them out loud for maximum effect. How can you not (a) laugh out loud; and (b) read it out loud, when you come across a passage such as this one: "But nary a pusillanimous primate populating this pitifully puny planet can sigh up a storm as awe-inducingly as the Alpha Wench!" That's a six-word alliterative combo, and it's not even close to being the longest or the funniest in the book. Sure, you could say that people don't talk like that, and they don't (even though maybe they should). But the Caged Demonwolf is not a person! He's the Scourge of the Spaceways, the All-knowing Autarch, the Eagled-Eyed Erlking, the Salacious Starspawn! He is Adam Warren's genius at work, and that's why you should buy this book and the previous five Empowered volumes available right now. Go get them!

Bay's Best

Michael Bay just directed his master-
piece. Check out this video and praise his genius.

Feliz Nawiidad

Hace un tiempo, en los comentarios a este post, se discutió acerca de las consolas que ocupan el mercado hoy día. Mientras que a nadie parecía interesarle la Playstation 3 de Sony, dos facciones encarnizadas defendieron a muerte la Xbox 360 de Microsoft y la Wii de Nintendo. Yo era de estos últimos.

Ambas consolas responden a diferentes maneras de ver el mercado videojuegueril. La Xbox según el modelo clásico de expertos jugones, basado en la duración, espectacularidad gráfica, sonido y guión de los juegos, que explotan al máximo todos los botones del mando de control. La Wii según el nuevo (y a la vez tan antiguo) modelo activo de juego que atrae a jugadores esporádicos, con la simpleza como filosofía, buscando potenciar más que nada la jugabilidad, y haciéndole un hueco a la obtención de beneficios paralelos para el jugador (como, por ejemplo, el mantenimiento físico).

Personalmente, siempre me han gustado los juegos largos y complejos, aquellos en los que la experiencia es un grado. Pero, al menos durante este momento de mi vida, y probablemente en los venideros, respondo más al segundo perfil. No quiero juegos que me hagan estar incontables horas frente a la pantalla, sino algo a lo que poder recurrir de cuando en cuando sin mayor preocupación. No quiero jugar sentado frente al monitor, sino tomar una posición activa y moverme en torno al salón. No quiero una consola a la que le saque el mayor partido jugando solo, sino una experiencia más social, compartiendo el juego con amigos o familia. Y le doy más importancia a la jugabilidad que a los gráficos en alta definición (aún más teniendo en cuenta la jurásica televisión que uso para jugar).

Así que me he decidido hace tiempo. Quiero una Wii. Sabe Dios cuándo podré comprármela, porque en casa andamos un poco justos de dinero, y, sinceramente, hay gastos más importantes que afrontar. Quizá dentro de unos meses sea el momento.

O quizá el momento haya sido este mes pasado.

Hace unas semanas mi novia me regaló la Wii. Se me presentó en casa con el nuevo pack negro que contiene Wii Sports y Wii Sports Resort, más un mando adicional. Regalazo. Me costó unas horas asimilarlo, porque me había resignado a esperar unos meses antes de poder comprarla, pero por algo tengo la mejor novia del mundo. Y hay gastos más importantes, desde luego, pero un regalo es un regalo.

Puedo decir ya sin temor ninguno que no me equivoqué ni media. La Wii es la consola para mí. Lo tenía demasiado claro como para que hubiera resultado ser de otra manera. No me canso de ella, entre otras cosas porque no estoy ni mucho menos todo el día jugando. La comparto con mi novia, mis amigos y mi familia (resulta que mis padres también se han hecho con otra). Adoro su simpleza, pero sobre todo su endiablada jugabilidad. Adoro jugar haciendo el subnormal frente al televisor. Y lo que es más, adoro ver a otros jugar haciendo el subnormal frente al televisor.

Tanto Wii Sports como Wii Sports Resort son juegos muy entretenidos, pero no nos engañemos, son lo que son, minijuegos para reuniones sociales o en los que ocupar veinte minutos del día. Pero qué veinte minutos, y qué reuniones sociales. Partidas de bolos, épicas a la par que hilarantes luchas a espada, relajantes momentos de golf, adictivas partidas de tenis o ping pong, emocionantes concursos de triples... No les pido más, la verdad.

De momento me conformo con lo que ahora mismo tengo, y la verdad es que no quiero mucho más. En el futuro me compraré un Rock Band, eso seguro, y estoy sopesando hacerme con algún Zelda, un Mario, y probablemente recuperar en la opción de Consola Virtual alguno de los juegos con los que tanto disfruté en los 8 y 16 bits. Pero de momento...

¡Mario Kart, allá voy!