Under The Skin, by Michel Faber Warning: spoiler alert. Oh, dear worst-reader, I can't imagine what it's like to be a (real) writer, write a book, and then have that book turned into a movie. What a show that must be. What a thrill. What an oasis of the mind. And. Yet. For those few … Continue reading Essence Under Skin →

The Martian by Andy Weir. One of them books, dear worst-reader. Struck me hard. Kept hearing about it via various podcasts, twit.tv, and most recently a little bird speckled in red that flew by my work-window singing: you'd better get to this now because it's a wanna-be tech-geeks dream. Of course. I didn't believe the bird--nor did … Continue reading Captivate This →

Day Out of Days: Stories - by Sam Shepard Should forever immagine the Lands further off are Still better than those upon which they are already settled... (-errors and/or typos from original text) Took a break (from) reading this book the other day. It was one of them rare, early hot summer days in Germania. … Continue reading If He Blogged →

Actually. Should have titled her "Read A Painter Paint". Nomatter. Beware dear worst-reader. For there are books and there are books--well written. And then there is writing brilliance that shines above them all. But does that brilliance always motivate to read-on? Oh, how reading such well written books used to hurt. That was before I … Continue reading Watch A Painter Paint →

While watching the film August: Osage County (more on that here) I thought every once-a-once about something being amiss. Specifically, while the movie rambled on and Julia Roberts struggled with her cursing, I thought about diet pizza. Is there such a thing? Low-fat cheese atop less salted tomato sauce absent of olive oil? How 'bout low-cal salami or … Continue reading Diet Pizza vs. Play vs. Film →

The Physician by Noah Gordon. Finished it two nights ago, dear worst-reader. Long has this book been on my to-read list. Long have various acquaintances (in Eurowasteland) inquired about my consumption of it. Short was the task to get thru it. Glad to finally hack it off my to-read list. Now the struggle to figure out which … Continue reading Novel Endearment →

Today's lesson, dear worst-reader, deals with You Can't Win by Jack Black. In the forward to Black's infamous book, William Burroughs -- the old man everyone wants as a sweet uncle on account he plays a true-to-life William Tell -- says: I see the world as a stage on which different actors are assigned different … Continue reading Demotivational Inspiration →

Stoner by John Williams Others (see links below) call it the perfect novel. I’m a little torn on that. I mean, is perfection applicable to anything? Tommi's worst-cyncism aside. If one were to review the few and far between books I’ve read, then it’s clear that I’ve also read too little to even begin judging … Continue reading The Perfect Novel (Question Mark) →

State Of Fear by Michael Crichton Warning: minor plot spoiler. Attributable to worstwriter's past, I usually think about three things when it comes to the political and economic freak show of "climate change". Now don't get me wrong. When I say freak show it doesn't mean I'm against the shebang. I actually dig Greenpeace & … Continue reading Eat The Actor →

A Century of War by William Engdahl Lost in conspiracy theory? As worst-writer I admit to delving in conspiracy theory in my life. I think it all started with some kid folding a dollar bill and thereby revealing a mushroom cloud which was supposed to represent America's dominance in the world because it was capable of … Continue reading Murky Century →

In The Garden Of Beasts by Erik Larson Oh, dear worst-reader, looks like I have to post a pseudo-worst-critique today albeit with a buy recommend. Finished this book the other night. Needed a few days to process it. Here's what I've worst come up with. This book bored the bejesus out of me. Half through … Continue reading History Bored →

Beowulf "Fate often saves an undoomed man when his courage is good." -Beowulf A story to adore? Beowulf is a text, when I finally got around to grasping it, that occupies forever the left ventricle of my heart. I have the story in a number of versions but the one I refer to most is … Continue reading Poem Of Everything →

Irre by Rainald Goetz Oh, dear worst-reader, worst-writer is a third into a book that he dislikes dearly which he may or may not write about on account he might not finish it. This sort of thing happens every once-a-once and I suppose it's inevitable. Still. I don't like writing about a book that I've … Continue reading Don't Cry Work →

One of Samuel Beckett's last published works. "Company" is a fable. I always thought a fable has animals in it. In this fable there's only "M" and "Hearer". Oh, there's a "W" in there somewhere, too. If that sounds a bit ambiguous, then go with what you're hearing. Ambiguity and loneliness is really all that's … Continue reading Alone With Company →

A People's History of the United States The Untold History of the United States If you saw these books in a store you might mix them up. At least you might mix up the titles. First, "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn. Took me a lot of years to finally get to … Continue reading This vs That →