Many intrepid readers are already familiar with Hilderbrand’s work, as eir 2007 novel Barefoot was a mainstay on the New York Times bestseller list for a solid half-year. The Castaways surrounds the interactions between four families: Kapenashes, Wheelers, Drakes and MacAvoys – that end up vacationing together practically every year. Where the groups have a very clean air around them, certain issues present ensure that no family is truly innocent.…
And you thought the drugs were a problem? The success the guys in Aerosmith had in the late 70’s and again in the early/mid 90’s is matched only by their mythic reputation for hovering up mountains of blow in the 70’s and 80’s. In Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top, Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer touches a little on his troubles with drugs, but spends the…
Gloria Vanderbilt has had a tremendous life, moving through all of the most elite circles in New York City, birthing a tremendous popular news force (Andersen Cooper) and at 85, has not slowed in the slightest. Obsession: An Erotic Tale showcases an author that does not conform to what most individuals would associate with those in the older generation, pushing hardcore sexuality into a critically appreciable position.
It’s clear just a few pages into it, that Poisoned Heart, Vera Ramone King’s memoir of her time with Ramone’s bassist Dee Dee, was not easy to write. The book comes off as part therapy, part twisted love letter to the clearly disturbed rocker. King, who met and fell in love with the punk rocker in 1977, just before the band helped introduce punk rock to the world. Her relationship…
City of Souls is the fourth book in the Zodiac series, and the title itself shows further evolution and explication by Pettersson of eir alternate reality. The title goes by quickly, the rich prose of Pettersson going down like the sweetest drink. The story line that is weaved through this title is fleshed out but does not feel unnecessarily dragged down or wishy-washy; events, characters, and actions taken by these…
Ever wondered exactly which Haagan Dazs Henry Rollins used to work at in D.C.? Or, how about what San Francisco collective local punk rockers can visit to take classes on underwear making? Neither have I, but thank God Leslie Simon has. In what has got to be the best guide book on punk rock… well ever, rock journalist Simon answers a slew of questions never asked about punk rock and…
None of the arguments put forth by Glenn Greenwald in his latest rant against the Right, “Great American Hypocrites,†is going to come as a shock to anyone who has ever made a donation to MoveOn.org. But, that’s not to say it’s not highly entertaining read full of great argument starters.
Those looking to Ronen Kauffman’s book “New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye,†hoping to find a definitive history of New Jersey’s storied hardcore and punk rock scene are better served looking elsewhere. There are mentions and anecdotes of a slew of bands from the mid-90’s scene like the Bouncing Souls, Lifetime, The Degenerics and Endeavor, but the main focus is one man’s discovery and ultimately his passion for the world of…
Writing a great rock novel is a whole lot harder than it sounds. There have been countless attempts over the years and the result is usually a collection of boring tour urban legends and rejected VH1 Behind the Music scripts. It’s a pretty big feat then that both Michael Shilling and Jason Buhrmester have managed to turn in solid rock stories just months apart from each other. Shilling’s Rock Bottom…
Once you get past the fact that Roberto Escobar sees his brother more as a Columbian Robin Hood rather than one of the most barbaric, nefarious drug lords… well, ever, The Accountant’s Story is actually a pretty fascinating read that’s incredibly difficult to put down once you’ve started reading.
An anthology about relationships written by guys sounds about as appealing as…well talking about relationships with guys. But thanks to a stellar list of authors – heavy on comedians like Jon Stewart, Patton Oswalt, Stephen Colbert and Will Forte – and the comedy-prone topic of getting dumped, makes the task that much more compelling. The essays are offered as lessons of sorts, far from practical, but extremely funny nonetheless.
British comedic writers Steve Lowe and Brendan McArthur have made a career of sorts bitching about ‘modern conveniences’ through a collection of books. The best bits have been sandwiched into Is It Me or Is Everything Shit? with additional observations added in by Daily Show writer/American Brendan Hay. For the most, the book has some pretty hilarious, astute observations. Like their straight to the point take on Hare Krishnas: “Hare,…
Dave Thompson is the Andy Rooney of music criticism. Bushy eyebrows aside, Thompson puts his stake in the ground early on in his latest manifesto, I Hate New Music, with the outrageous claim that rock music stopped being good sometime around 1978. Seriously. Like the aforementioned 60 Minutes alum Rooney rambling on about not getting as much coffee in the can as he did in the good old days, Thompson…
Revolution On Canvas / $12.95 / 224M / 1:30 / http://www.twbookmark.com /Â Poetry usually bores the hell out of me. Bands that have individuals that feel that they are set on this Earth to do anything but create music after making it big annoy me as well. However, this first volume of Revolution on Canvas is something I can get into. Note; this book is purely poetry (well, purely with…
I know that a long time back, I used to play Vampire: The Masquerade. One of the clans in this RPG (role playing game) was the Brujah. The reason why this is relevant at all is that the title of Tim Madden’s new book – The Bruja’s Tale – is similar to that of the Brujah clan. Tim Madden’s Homepage provides individuals with an insight into the work, which deals…
Elizabeth / 2007 Hachette Book Group / 678M / 5:00 / http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com / Elizabeth was written by J. Randy Taraborrelli. Taraborrelli may best be known for all of eir other biographies, which include those about Diana Ross, Carol Burnett, Michael Jackson, Cher, Frank Sinatra, Madonna, and the work about the females linked to the Kennedy clan, ‘Jackie, Ethel, and Joan’. This book is about Elizabeth Taylor, and goes in a…
Dear Peppers and Pollywogs : What Parents Want to Know About Planning Their Kids’ Parties / 2007 Self / 132M / http://www.pepperspollywogs.com / As individuals could guess, this book is a guide for parents. This book is set up to allow individuals to quickly come up with an answer to their party quandaries, whether it be the parent wondering what is age-appropriate or how much individuals should spend on birthday…
The Hammer: The Best of Hank Aaron / 2007 Borders / $14.95 / 144M / 1:50 / The subtitle of this book is “From the Pages of Sports Illustratedâ€, and the tile really gives individuals a good idea what focus that the book may have. This was culled together from the material written about Hank Aaron throughout eir career by the individuals at Sports Illustrated. More so, the language used…
Revolution on Canvas 2 / $12.99 / 2007 Warner / 2:00 / 236M / This is the second volume of what I believe is the only book that is dedicated to collecting the poetry of some of the most famous rock stars in the emo, hardcore, and metalcore genres. This volume features a different selection of artists than the first volume. This time around, individuals from Motion City Soundtrack, The…
