Thursday, August 23, 2012

On the Shelf 8.23.12


Reading

Starting this week I began my noble quest to conquer books beyond my comfort zone. As in many quests it began sluggishly. This week I cracked openPawnee: the Greatest Town in America, written in the perspective of character Leslie Knope of the program Parks and Recreation. I typically avoid books relating to television series, but something about it drew me in. The novel (I can't, in good conscience, call it a book) describes the fictional city of Pawnee’s rich history, culture and frequent raccoon infestations. Told primarily from Leslie Knope’s narrative, the novel also incorporates brief contributions from other characters and does a wonderful job of letting each individual shine.

Another haunt this week was tvtropes, a wiki about the world of media cliches and patterns. The site details repeated trends in media, giving them creative names like Ham To Ham Combat to describe large and overacted characters fighting to see who can be the most unnecessarily dramatic. The unique terminology the site prides itself in can come across as a bit intimidating to new comers but after spending an afternoon clicking on Lampshade Hanging, Fridge Logic, and YMMV, the accumulated vocabulary opens up a new world of pop culture references.

Listening

This week my background music of choice has been Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack to The Dark Knight Rises. I have yet to find a Hans Zimmer song I haven’t enjoyed but something about this particular CD speaks to me. As with most soundtracks there are quiet songs but the strong instrumentals of The Fire Rises, Gotham’s Reckoning, and Underground Army give me chills with their power. It also makes mundane tasks like cleaning the dishes feeling like I’m saving a city with each plate.

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