100 books in 2016 The Best So Far

A few years ago I joined Good Reads and this year I decided to do a reading challenge, a 100 books in 2016.  

I'm at about 35 books now and we are 1/3 of the way through the year (which is terrifying where does the time go) so I think I'll probably make a 100.

I always love Rae at Say It Ain't So book reviews so here in no particular order, are my  favorite books so far this year.

1) The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, writing as Claire Morgan-

I read Highsmith's first Ripley novel years ago and I really enjoyed it so when I heard about this book and the movie based on it I really wanted to read it.  This  book, like all of Highsmith's writing, is excellent.  Its full of mid century detail and you feel totally transported to the 1950s.  Highsmith is known for her crime fiction and this  is a love story, so its very different from the majority of work.  However, Highsmith was an astute observer of the minutiae of human behavior and that is on ample display here.   Most of the story takes place in the head of Therese, the younger of the two lovers, and much of Carol, the older women's behavior, is a bit mysterious, because Carol remains a mystery to Therese.  I think thats why the book is so much better then the movie.  
It it isn't really an action filled  cinematic story.   So while I didn't really like the movie I did love the book.  It also has a fairly happy ending, unusual for a Highsmith story and somewhat bittersweet since Highsmith herself was unlucky in love.   


2) The Blunderer-Patricia Highsmith.

After reading The Price of Salt I really wanted to read more Highsmith books and The Blunderer was the first I tried.  I really loved it.  It has the same pitch perfect mid century atmosphere, particularly the cocktail party scenes, but it's a crime story which is more to my taste then a love story.   The basic plot follows two very different men who have murdered their wives. One is cool, calm and collected, and the other is a blunderer.  It's a classic Hitchcockian story and I kept wondering why it hasn't ever been made into a film, and then I found out it is being made into one. Too bad Hitchcock isn't around.

3) The Selected Stories of Patricia Highsmith-Patricia Highsmith

I love short stories and these are tops.  Some are very dark and disturbing and some are light funny.  My favorites where the ones about animals, particularly a dog who gets revenge on an unworthy owner.  You can tell Highsmith was an animal lover.

4) 20th Century Ghosts-Joe Hill

Two things I love short stories and horror stories.  All of these are great and spooky.  Hill reminds me of his dad Stephen King during his 1980s salad days when he was writing top quality horror.   I also love that this book features a vintage movie house.  It reminded me of the landmark Loewes in Jersey City which I love.

5) Between Man and Beast: An Unlikely Exploer, the Evolution Depates, and the African Adventure That Took The World By Storm by Monte Reel

This is such an interesting non fiction story.  It's about Paul Du Chaillu an early naturalist and hunter, early naturalists where all hunters, who was one of the first people to study, sadly largely through hunting the gorilla.  The book goes into fascinating detail about the whole evolution debate that was raging at the time and the role the Gorilla played in it, with many people seeing the Gorilla as the missing link.  Racism played a major role in early thoughts on evolution and the book explores that too.  Chaillu was part African and had to keep it completely secret.  I was also fascinated by the small section of the book that focused on  P.T. Barnum and his efforts to turn the evolution debate into a side show. 


6) I Am Spock-Leonard Nimoy

I waited for this book to come into the library for a full year, and it was totally worth it.  Of course I adore Spock and Nimoy and all things Star Trek, but this is also a really well written book.   I found Nimoy's life story very interesting, but I really loved reading about how he developed the character of Spock and I was impressed with how devoted to his fictional alter ego.  He often put his job on the line to defend the character's dignity, but he never comes off as obnoxious or egotistical.  He also seems to really appreciate and care for his fans. I also thought Nimoy was a wonderful person and this book confirmed it for me.

7) The Monstrumologist Book 1 by Rick Yancey

I think this is my favorite of the book so far this year.  A horror story about a young boy whose an apprentice to a monster hunter, it is very Harry Potter meets HP Lovecraft I absolutely loved it.  This is a young adult book but its plenty scary and page turney and it really reminds me of Lovecraft,  my favorite horror writer.   I can't recommend it highly enough.  

8) Spock, Messiah! Theodore R. Cogswell

I have to be honest this is not a great book, but I really enjoyed reading it.  The reason is because I've read plenty of Star Trek books and this more then any of the others reminds me of the original series hokey first season, and the so bad its good Spock's Brain episode.    It is ridiculously sexist in a classic Star Trek way.  The basic plot involves a female scientist who is on the Enterprise studying an early culture through some sort of mind swap technique.  She's madly in love with Spock and fixes things so Spock and her take on the bodies of super emotional villagers.  Spock goes nuts and thinks he's God and action ensues.   Kitschy and fun.

9) Federation by Judith Reeves Stevens

This is a really good, well written Star Trek novel.   It goes into the early years of the Federation and plenty of stuff alluded too, but never mentioned, in the series and films, so its almost a stand alone novel.  I love how it gets into the philosophy behind the series.   If you love Star Trek you'll love this.  After Spock's World and The Autobiography of James T. Kirk, its the best Trek novel I've read.


10) The Curse of the Wendigo (The Monstrumologist Book 2) Rick Yancey

As good as the first one!  There is so much in this book the wild west, victorian cities, monsters, true love, etc.  Its amazing how Yancey packs so much into one story.    I love the mystery part of this one it reminded me a little of Sherlock Holmes.  



11) Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man  William Shatner

I have heard plenty of criticism of this book, mostly focused on Shatner and his ego, but I really enjoyed it.  I love William Shatner and I think he's very funny and its on display here.   I had already heard plenty of the stories in the book since I had read I Am Spock and also Shatner's autobiography Up 'Till Now, but I still really enjoyed it.  Reading its obvious that Shatner healed Nimoy in high esteem and that were real friends.  If your a Star Trek fan you should really read this.


12) Mr. Mercedes: Bill Hodges Book 1-Stephen King

This is far from my favorite King book, that would be The Eyes of The Dragon.  It is also not a horror novel, its a crime thriller, but  I still really enjoyed it.  It's set during the recent economic turmoil and is very focused on the current concerns about mass shootings and such.  Parts of it seemed to pat and tv-ish and I never warmed to the main character, the villain is more full developed.  Still no one does a page turner better then Stephen King and I read this in three days.  I'm also very excited because King is coming to the Landmark Loewes theatre in Jersey City and June and I'm going to be seeing him there.  He'll be reading from the final book in the Bill Hodges trilogy and I'll get a signed copy. 

Book Review: Star Trek Costumes: Five Decades of Fashion From The Final Frontier

Trekkies like myself know that the greatest television show of all time is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.  

  The original series premiered on September 8, 1966 and while that series only  lasted three years it spawned four spin offs, an animated series, twelve movies, hundreds of novels, and has legions of seriously devoted fans.   So its no surprise that plenty of people are pretty excited for the anniversary and Paramount is busy releasing retrospective books and planning conventions.  All of that makes a dedicated member of the Church of Trek like myself

Image from Futurama another awesome sci-fi series

seriously crazy with excitement.  One of the first books released in celebration of the anniversary is the Star Trek Costume Book: Five Decades of Costumes from The Final Frontier.   

As I've written before (post one, post two) I adore the kitschy sci-fi style of Star Trek so this book is right up my alley.  I've had it since it was released in October and while there are things about it that I think could be better, over all I love it.   

It starts with The Original Series of course and while I wish it had gone into much more detail,  I enjoyed the coverage of the hillariously outlandish 60s looks.   I'm also pleased that the book gives credit to a man I think is an under-appreciated genius, William Ware Theiss, the first Star Trek costume designer.  

Theiss is the man who came up with Trek's signature sexy 60s space age look and his creations are many things, but never boring.  He used all kinds of unconventional fabrics and trims and cuts to create different outlandish looks week after week.

 

Theiss even had his own theory of costume design: The Theiss Titillation Theory which states that "the degree to which a costume is considered sexy is directly proportional to how accident-prone it appears to be."  The theory is on ample display in costumes worn by some of the female guest stars 

Theiss didn't just focus on the  ladies though, there where plenty of scanty get ups for the men.  Its rare and somewhat refresshing  to see a television where male bodies are on display almost as much of female ones, I can't think of anyone but Theiss who did that in the 1960s.

Apparently Theiss's costumes did cause some chaos on set since his theory meant that the outfits where often slipping and falling of the actors and had to be taped in place.      







Theiss's sketches are also displayed in the book showing the evolution of a design from concept to execution, which is interesting.

From the Original Series the book goes onto cover all of the series and the spin offs and a fan learns some interesting facts about the outfits.  For example series creator Gene Roddenberry apparently hated wrinkles and felt they'd be eliminated in the future so the uniforms are always made out of tight stretchy fabrics that are designed to resist wrinkling.

But it never quite works right which is why the actors are constantly seen adjusting their uniforms.   Fan's even gave the signature shirt tug a name, the Picard maneuver.  You can see it in action, many times, below:

It seems that no one working on  Star Trek is  ever 100% happy with the uniforms and they are being endlessly re-designed and fussed over.  They change for almost every series and film but they are always fairly tight and wrinkle free.  

The TNG (thats the Next Generation)  uniforms are very 80s track suit 

and by Deep Space Nine and Voyagers the colors are reversed and the fit is a bit looser.

Enterprise is a prequel so the uniforms are a bit more in line with the space suits we see today

and the uniforms from Star Trek The Motion Picture are too seventies for words, and what the heck are those buckle things at everyones waist?

I'm not a fan of the uniforms in the current motion pictures.  I think its the fabric that I don't like.  Also they seem weirdly late 1990s to me.

This is just a sampling of the changes the book covers many more.  

Until  I read the book I didn't know that Theiss designed the first season of costumes for The Next Generation, but in retrospect its pretty obvious.  There are some seriously crazy looks.  Including a skirt for men (if you think about it the idea that men in the future would be wearing dresses and skirts is pretty revolutionary, particularly for the 1980s) and some sort of shiny wrap thing with leggings that the men have to wear on a female dominated planet.  

 

   

Wesley Crushers early season sweaters are also a testament to 80s fabulousness.  I just can not get over the orange one it seriously leaves me awestruck, here is just nothing that compares too it.

 

Though Keiko O'briens wedding dress, not a Theiss creation, comes close.  According to the book its supposed to be a space age take on a traditional Kimono, but it looks like saran wrap and what the hell  is that on her head!?!  
Sadly as the series goes on the fashion gets a bit duller, and while I think all the costume designers have done a reasonably good job no one compares to Theiss.  But the aliens are always fun and the book covers all of the races.  You learn that Klingon costumes involve a lot of quilted leather and jewelry 

 

That the costumers regret the decision to give the Romulan's giant shoulder pads, it was supposed to make them look aggressive.

That the Ferengi love oppulence (and apparently upholstry fabric)



and that Vulcans are understated and tasteful

You have to be a fan of the show and have a sense of humor to appreciate Star Trek style, its certainly emblematic of fashion icon's  Diana Vreeland famous line: 

If you love Star Trek, and you love the crazy looks.  I can't recommend The Star Trek Book of Costumes enough.



Coming Soon: Our Star Trek costume photo shoot, starring canine trekkies

Tasty Tuesday-Cook Book Review The Soda Fountain

 

I've written before about my love of the Brooklyn Farmacy

It is without a doubt my favorite restaurant in the New York area, seamlessly blending two things I love vintage and ice cream, into a genuine trip back in time.  When I heard the Farmacy was coming out with a cookbook I knew I needed a copy and immediately pre-ordered from Amazon.

Like the restaurant the book does not disappoint.  The first section is a detailed history of the Soda Fountain's hey day.  Ice cream and Sodas popularity climbed with the rise in popularity of the prohibition movement and somewhat surprisingly from today's stand point, the health food craze.   Ice cream was given out at temperance meetings and Sunday school picnics and touted as a health food. 

 





 

 

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Meanwhile soda water was wildly popular and believed to cure a variety of ills.



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 The two crazes gave birth to the soda fountain and the customers poured in.




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The repeal of prohibition in 1933 with the passage of the 21st amendment re-opened the bar room and dealt a blow to the Soda Fountain.  The Soda Fountain however continued to be popular institution throughout the 1930s and 40s



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but began  to wane in the 1950s.

 

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The advent of television meant more people where having their ice cream at home in front of the TV

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 and soda was being sold in bottles at every gas station and corner shop, eliminating the need for a skilled soda jerk.



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All told the Soda Fountain craze lasted less then a hundred years but it was a fascinating time in American pop culture and the Farmacy's cookbook has way more information on the phenomenon then what I have shared here. 

 

 Of course the real mission of the Brooklyn Farmacy is reviving the scrumptions flavors of the Soda Fountain and it wouldn't be a cook book without recipes for the delicious retro treats they sell.  The book has directions for making  your own versions of the Farmacy's soda syrups, shakes, floats, and my personal favorite, Sundaes.   This weekend I tried the Cookie Monster sundae and it did not disappoint.  I made a few modifications to the original recipe but wound up with something that tasted much like the one I had at the restaurant.

 

Cookie Monster Sundae

 

 

Chocolate chip cookie , I used the Smitten Kitchen recipe

Mint chip ice cream (I used White Face mint chip from Adirondack Creamery which is what they use the fountain)

Hot fudge, I used the smitten kitchen recipe

3 tbsp chopped walnuts

Sweetened whipped cream (1 cup heavy cream beat to stiff peaks with 1 tbsp confectioner sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)

Blue sugar sprinkles

 

Crumble the cookie in the bottom of the bowl.   Top the cookie with several scoops of mint chip ice cream and drizzle hot fudge sauce over.  Sprinkle with walnuts and top with a dollop of whipped cream and some blue sugar sprinkles.

 

 

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