The Devil Wears Prada

Posted by melydia on October 7, 2007 No comment

The Devil Wears Prada: I read the book a little while ago but wasn’t all that impressed with it. The movie, however, was great. They changed a lot of the story, including the climax, but all for the better. Anne Hathaway was lovely and believable as girl-next-door-turned-couture-obsessed-model Andy Sachs, and of course Meryl Streep was deliciously cold as Miranda Priestly. This isn’t the sort of movie I’d want to watch over and over again, but it’s a funny flick for a Saturday night at home. Even my husband liked it, and he usually dismisses anything that smells even a vaguely like a chick flick. (Which this isn’t, even with a female main character and all its talk about fashion.) I know this is sacrilege in some circles, but I would definitely recommend the movie over the book.

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Posted by melydia on October 5, 2007 No comment

Neuromancer by William Gibson: This was described to me as the archetypal cyberpunk novel. And perhaps it is. The world was interesting, the characters were dynamic, and the view of the future was familiar yet radically different. However, I had a terrible time following the storyline. I got what happened in a general sense, but there was still some stuff that went over my head. Like what happened to Wintermute at the end. So honestly I’m not sure if I’d recommend this book to anyone else, because I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. Perhaps I should reread it sometime.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Barf Alert

Posted by melydia on October 2, 2007 No comment

I changed some stuff on the blog, so there’s a very good chance that the feed will barf within the next 24 hours. Sorry about that.

In the meantime, feel free to enjoy the sweet sounds of Communist Yard Sale.

Daily Lit

Posted by melydia on September 30, 2007 No comment

No time to read classic literature? Now it’s easy with Daily Lit. Pick your lit and it sends you the entire thing in daily installments.

Actually, it’s not all classic lit. Looks like Cory Doctorow’s entire bibliography is available too.

T-Mode

Posted by melydia on September 7, 2007 No comment

I’m going to be attending T-Mode, an anime convention in Arlington, VA, next weekend (14-16 September). I’ll be working at the Binary Souls / Other Dimensions table in Artists Alley. Stop by and say hello!

The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman

Posted by melydia on August 31, 2007 No comment

The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman (unabridged audiobook read by Oliver Wyman): This book, while a reasonably interesting discussion of globalization, is way too long and repetitive. I can summarize it in a few bullet points:

* Outsourcing grunt work saves money and frees up Americans to be innovative and specialized. It also improves the standard of living in the countries receiving the new jobs.
* The internet = teh awesome.
* Collaboration benefits everyone.
* OMG they have computers in Asia!
* Americans need to buckle down in science and math education or they will be left behind.
* Change is difficult but inevitable.
* Knowledge-based work is like an ice cream sundae.
* Sometimes companies in one country have employees in other countries, or they work with companies in other countries.
* Terrorists have access to the same technologies we do.
* The world is flat. The world is flat. The world is flat.

Okay, so maybe I’m being a tad flip. This was probably far more groundbreaking when it came out in 2004 and the off-shoring/outsourcing panic really started picking up speed. Though I didn’t come away with any major new insights, I did enjoy a lot of the little nuggets of information, like the Indian school for untouchables and JetBlue’s housewives in Utah. And there was certainly no shortage of anecdotes.

Basically, if you’re new to the globalization game and want a general overview with lots of specific examples, this is a good book for you. However, if you’re already reasonably familiar with just how multinational your average multinational corporation is, you might want to look for something more in depth.

One final note: the narrator was okay, but it was a little strange how he gave everyone he quoted a subtle Indian accent.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Posted by melydia on August 17, 2007 1 comment

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: I’m not sure how to feel about this one. In brief, it’s about 15-year-old Christopher Boone’s attempts to discover who killed his neighbor’s dog, and he learns some surprising things about his mother along the way. Though it’s never mentioned explicitly, one assumes he has a form of autism. And while I’ve heard this book is supposed to be a real eye-opener and help people be more understanding of autistic people, I honestly developed far more sympathy for Christopher’s parents. I don’t know if I could handle taking care of someone like that. My hat’s off to all the parents, teachers, and other caretakers who work with special needs kids every day. You are truly amazing people.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone

Posted by melydia on August 14, 2007 No comment

The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone: Most books I get free off the internet are worth about what I paid for them, so my expectations were not high coming into this. I expected it to be another generic thriller, just something to pass the time. I was pleasantly mistaken. I liked the characters, no matter how despicable. The scenery was described in wonderful detail without getting long-winded, and the action was well paced. I think my favorite part was the snarky ghost (or maybe he was just a hallucination) who haunted the main character as he attempted to solve the ghost’s murder. There was a good balance between humor and drama. I read in a review somewhere to remember David Stone’s name because he will be known for excellent thrillers. If this book is any indication of his future work, I think that’s a definite possibility.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Good Guy by Dean Koontz

Posted by melydia on August 4, 2007 No comment

The Good Guy by Dean Koontz: It’s a good thing I don’t expect more from Koontz than one long chase scene with all the loose ends rather sloppily tied up at the end. It’s not all bad, of course. The dialogue had some funny bits and the miscommunication that starts off the book was cleverly done. Unfortunately, the villain wasn’t especially convincing and the ending seemed thrown together at the last minute. In short, this was a nice diversion while recovering from surgery but I’m glad I didn’t spend any money on it.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Bill the Galactic Hero: The Planet of the Robot Slaves by Harry Harrison

Posted by melydia on August 1, 2007 No comment

Bill the Galactic Hero: The Planet of the Robot Slaves by Harry Harrison: I don’t know where the title came from, since there aren’t really any robot slaves anywhere. Bill of the ever-changing military rank is stranded with a few others on a planet inhabited by metal creatures, Virginians, Romans, and various characters from Arthurian legend. It is, in a word, silly. Extremely silly. But I would expect nothing less from Harrison. I don’t think I could read multiple books in a row from this series but it’s a nice diversion from time to time.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

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