The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao (2007)

Junot Díaz's The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao (2007) was not only a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, it also holds the prestigious honor of being the next DAFFODILS (that is the Dangerously Affable Friendly Friends Optional Drinking Invitational Literary Society) selection.

The book traces the story of Oscar de León, an overweight, science-fiction loving, Über-nerd, Dominican-American growing up in New Jersey, and his family -- particularly his older sister Lola, his mother Beli, and his grandfather Abelard. The family may be cursed, or it may just have the ordinary luck of Dominicans, our narrator, Yunior (a boyfriend to Lola and a sometimes-roommate to Oscar), isn't saying. Either way, bad things happen to them from generation to generation. And while Díaz starts us out in 1980s and 1990s New Jersey, we are quickly sent back to the Dominican Republic of the 1940s and 1950s where we and the family feel the wrath of dictator Rafael Trujillo.

I thought this was a really fun read, and I am a total sucker for multi-generational epics, so if you are too I would recommend checking this one out. My big criticism is that some of the "quirks" of the narrator and author (mostly the extensive footnotes and excessive sci-fi references) were applied inconsistently and sometimes got in the way of the story. Oddly enough all the characters are very engaging, complicated and well-drawn except for Oscar himself. I'm sure this was intentional, but I can't help wishing that the reader was able to slip under his armor a bit and get something more three-dimensional from the guy.

I have more to say, but I'm going to keep it under wraps until the book club meets.

DAFFODILS!

The wonders of Appleton

One of the most fun discoveries of our trip was this amazing house in Appleton, Wisconsin with a yard full of sculptures of famous artists. I couldn't find anything about it with a quick search of the internet, and I'd love to know more about the guy who makes these.

[And if that isn't enough for you, there is full photographic documentation of the trip here.]

Dear Wisconsin

I miss you. It is 100 degrees outside right now in Austin, and it is eight o'clock in the evening. In addition, nothing is green here. I need to get myself one of those summer cabins up north....

More updates on the awesomeness that was Summer Road Trip 2009 after I recover from my car head and regain the will to carry on in my regular old life.

Horchata!

I had never heard of horchata before moving to Texas, but now I love this cool, smooth, rice-based drink. And thanks to Mary P., I know how to make it at home! There are a bunch of recipes out there, but I used this one, and it turned out great. I don't like things to be too sweet, so I only used half of the sugar, and I might also try reducing the cinnamon just a bit the next time I make it. This couldn't be easier (although waiting for the rice to soak for three hours is a little hard if you are thirsty) -- go make it right now!

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In other news, I'm heading north to escape the 100+ degree temperatures we've been having down here, to visit some family and friends, and to celebrate an awesome wedding on the fourth of July, so it might be quiet around here for a bit. Just drink a bunch of horchata and you won't miss me at all.

The Tennis Handsome (1983)

Barry Hannah is an author that I keep myself from reading because I love him so much that I will be sad when I've read everything he has written. His slender but powerful novel The Tennis Handsome (1983) is just as awesomely wonderful and great as I hoped it would be.

The Tennis Handsome tells the story of a professional tennis player from Vicksburg named French Edwards who is not very smart (unless electrocuted), but (as you might have guessed) exceedingly handsome. Edwards is managed by Baby Levaster who is not very handsome but full of personality, sin, and quite often, liquor. As a young man Edwards is coached by Dr. Word, a staunch homosexual who changes teams when he meets his protogee's mother, Olive, and who changes everything after French catches the two of them in bed together. From that point on French wants to kill Word, Word wants to sleep with Olive, Baby also wants to sleep with Olive, Word wants Baby dead, and all kinds of other things shoot out at the reader, including the other main character of the novel, a Vietnam vet who mostly wants to have an affair with his aunt, but also wants to do a lot of reading.

Whew.

This is the kind of book that rushes straight at you. Hannah is funny, insightful, and disturbing, and he has a lot of fun with the words that make up his intoxicating sentences.

Luckily once I finish everything he has written, I will have no problem reading them all again...

Free to a good home?

Does anyone need some shiny black thigh-high lace up boots? Because someone threw a perfectly good pair away in the trash can of my apartment complex's laundry room. I find that kind of sad, neat, and gross all at the same time...

Pretty Good? Pretty Great!

Have you been over to the Pretty Good Things site in a while? You haven't? Then you are missing out on the most fabulous thesis project ever -- filled with illustrations, sculptural hats, wearable derivations, and a narrative to tie it all together. This project makes me very happy.

And, as always, there are lots of other fun things to shop for as well. I guarantee you will smile at least five times while poking around the site.

Still not enough reasons to click your mouse? Then go over to the Pretty Good Things blog and enter this month's giveaway. Or don't you like free, pretty and good things?