December 20, 2006

• Jimbo's 2006 Holiday Shopping Guide

  (Book edition)

  Welcome everyone! As you well know by the steady increase in
  traffic around commercial establishments, the holiday season is upon us. What
  does this mean? This means you need to spend money (lots of it) on others, even
  if they don’t particularly deserve it. To aid in this endeavor, I have composed
  a list of books I have read over the past year and recommend to others. They
  are in no particular order, but I do give brief descriptions so you can
  identify just the right book.

  Alamut by
  Vladimir Bartol
  Are you interested in history? Has the news of today made
  you interested in learning more about the Muslim culture? Do you just want a
  generally good read? If you answered yes to any of these questions (or some that
  weren’t asked), then you should pick up the historical-fiction novel Alamut. The story takes place in the
  titular fortress and weaves the tale of the original assassins (originally
  hashhishans). It is an engrossing story that bears frightening resemblance to
  fact. I recommend this book to everybody that likes to read. Good luck finding
  it though. It is technically out of print and you may need to special order it.

  The Time Traveler’s
  Wife by Audrey Niffeneger
  Before I begin, let me just say that this is a great book
  and you should not let the genre get in the way. Now then, this is technically
  a romance novel. At least that is what it says on the jacket. While I do see
  the romance elements in it, I think it is more than that. It also seems to
  delve into the science-fiction category. This is a tale about a man who,
  through some genetic defect, is able to travel through time. I don’t mean
  centuries of difference, just a few years here and there. He also has no
  control over it. I won’t spoil the plot, but I will say that it does make you
  think as all of the time-traveling can throw you off. I highly recommend this
  book to everybody (even you single guys).

  Japanamerica by
  Roland Kelts
  Do you have an older anime fan (otaku) on your list? I would
  recommend this book to them. Within its pages, it details the growth of the
  Japanese anime culture in America.
  It uses logic and history to explain how and why otaku-dom continues to grow
  among the youth of today. It is definitely a worthy read if you or someone else
  is interested.

  Next by Michael
  Crichton
  The only reason I am listing this book is because it is a
  Michael Crichton book. He is my favorite author of all time. Nevertheless, this
  is not one of his better books. Sure, it was a fun read, but it really did not
  have much substance. It just jumped around and tried to tackle as many
  bio-engineering topics as it could. It is not a great book, but if you have a
  Michael Crichton nut (like myself) on your list, you may as well get it for him
  or her.

  The Gospel of the
  Flying Spaghetti Monster by Prophet Bobby Henderson
  What, you don’t already own this book? What is wrong with
  you? Go out and buy it right now! Not just for yourself, but for others as
  well! Geez.

  That wraps it up for now. I have read a lot of books, but
  this about sums up the highlights. Most of the other books were merely
  mediocre. Now, go out there and fuel the economy!

  In other news: it appears that I have lately been receiving hits from people who don't subscribe to Xanga. I don't mean just search engine bots, I mean actual people. I noticed on my footprints that people search for actual phrases in google, and they are brought here. Currently, searches for "Rune Factory translation" and "Roland Kelts" shows a link to my site. It is all very exciting.

  • 7:28 am
  • 2 Comments