Keiko has a great name. I’ve always really liked it. It looks pretty when written down and it’s super fun to say. Also, you get to have tons of *cake* related nicknames which should be a goal for everyone. I’m bringing this up because Keiko sweetly (subtle cake reference) tagged my for this fun post going around.
The TBR tag asks that bloggers to name a book in their TBR (To Be Read) list for each letter of their name. Keiko being a genius with a great name, supplemented the tag by also adding an anime for each letter as well.
Brilliant!
Books
I recently finished House of Leaves (not bad) so I was actually thinking of going through my TBR list anyways. This is quite timely!
I is for Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns)
This is Mindy Kaling’s first book (I believe) and is essentially a short autobiography and essay collection. I’ve never read any of her books, but I have seen her in interviews a lot and find her to be delightful, funny and intelligent. I also really respect the work she puts in. As such, I’ve been meaning to read this for quite some time now. I expect it will be a light romp with a few gossipy tidbits and hopefully some interesting inside the Hollywood business machine insights.
R is for Reality Check
Wow, I just realized this paints a very one sided and possibly a little shallow picture of me. Reality Check is a nonfiction study of the art of putting a reality show together. I don’t in fact watch any reality TV (I watch almost no live action TV at all) but given infinite hours I probably would watch all of it. I am fascinated by what brought us to the creation and celebration of this odd phenomenon and what really goes on behind the scenes.
I is for Infinite Jest
Infinite Jest is a long book you guys. I’ve started it like 3 times. I got 2/3 of the way through once but I just can’t seem to stick to it. The sad part is, I quite like Infinite Jest. Obviously, I’m not smitten by it but the story is pleasant enough and the writing style is solid. I just keep wandering away from it and it’s a source of lowkey shame. I really want to just sit down and finish it one day.
N is for Natsume Yuujinchu vol 22
What, you thought I wouldn’t find a way to work Natsume in! Pffth preposterous. Some of you may have seen on twitter that I recently completed my Natsume manga collection (by this I mean I ordered all 21 available volumes in Canada on whim a while ago and finally received them. I’ve been reading them during my public transit commute whenever I’m not writing and let’s just say, there’s been a lot of crying in busses. I’m not even ashamed. I’m currently on volume 5 and have zero intention of stopping until I’ve binge my way through all of them. I truly hope vol 22 will be available in Canada by then.
A is for An Artist of the Floating World
Kazuo Ishiguro is one of my favorite authors. He blends delicate beauty with fragile happiness and gentle pain. The man is truly gifted and has never steered me wrong. This is one of his earliest novels and the only one I haven’t read yet. Although I adore his work, an Ishiguro book tends to take an emotional toll on me so I have been waiting for the right mindset before starting it. Maybe when Natsume 22 comes out, I can use it as a post Ishiguro pick-me up.
Anime
My to watch list haunts me. It keeps getting bigger and bigger. I’m stubborn so I take as a challenge I refuse to back down from so I don’t remove titles and just keep adding more each season. Ok so stubborn may be the polite way of saying it…
I is for I Don’t Have Many Friends
I mean obviously…I kept seeing artwork from this show in nightcore videos on youtube (don’t judge me) and I really liked the style. The characters looked like fun as well. When I finally looked it up, I just couldn’t resist that title. Unfortunately, the anime wasn’t available for me at the time, so I ended up reading the manga instead, but I always wanted to see the show. Crunchy just added it to their roster so naturally, on my list it went.
R is for Red Data Girl
I can’t really explain this. I like the name. That’s it. I have no clue what the story is about. I don’t even know what the art looks like. The pic for he post is the first image I’ve seen. I just heard the name somewhere and went – yup, wanna see that. This sort of explains that endless to watch list, doesn’t it…
I is for Idolish7
This was my original pick for the Winter Games last season but it got vetoed. Truly to everyone’s loss, I’m sure. In any case, I’m still gonna watch it, so there! I expect it will be a revelation!
N is for No Game No Life Zero
I really liked No Game No Life. I understand if you didn’t, but I did. Because I have similar drives as a fruit fly, I have to assume some of my attachment to this show has to do with the colors. In any case, it’s one of those series that left me wanting more. Of course the movie wasn’t released in Montreal (or I missed it which would make me very sad) so I haven’t gotten around to seeing it, Yet.
A is for Assassination Classroom.
This is odd because I’ve read a lot of the manga and I saw the live action movie, both of which I quite enjoyed but somehow managed to forget about the anime until fairly recently. Probably one of the next longer series I will be watching (I mix longer running shows with single season series) and I am really looking forward to it. There’s a character that so obviously a me rip off, they’re not even trying to hide it anymore.
Well there you have it.
And now you tell me:
I never know who to tag and honestly this was super fun to do so if you ever feel like just responding to the tag, please do so!
I wanted to read An Artist in A Floating World too!
Well I’m going to steal some from your list Rin-san….
we can compare notes!
Deal~
I’m really curious to see whether or not you like No Game No Life Zero, considering your reasons for liking the anime.
I thought it was great, but it doesn’t have the same exact appeal as the NGNL series. I liked the two for completely different reasons, and I’m curious whether anyone else feels the same.
I will definetly try to find it.
Two piece of reality TV to watch: Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdains (see it on Netflix) and Top Gear UK (on Amazon prime). Those are excellent, both of them.
I tried Red Data Girl, gave up on it after a few episodes. Haganai is great. You will laugh. Assassination Classroom is a good show, but it is basically Great Teacher Onizuka remade without credit. Several of the characters will really interest you, and it was an enjoyable watch. Have fun with all of that. Cheers!
I’ve seen GTO well half, and I started classroom yesterday (3 eps so far). Although there are some parrallels I ouldn’t call it a remake. GTO is much more a satire Classroom so far is clearly absurdist. I love Top Gear. I also started RDG yester (2 eps) the frist 1.8 ep were awesome, I’m a huge LAIN fan so obviously this tugs at my bias – I’m not sure how I feel about the ghost reveal though…
Lain is a weird and interesting piece of scifi. Its about emergent AI and Japanese drug culture, things which don’t normally cross. There are several parts of Ghost in the Shell about designed and emergent AI, and the topic comes up frequently because AI could potentially be a new kind of slavery. Does AI have civil rights? Is the fact it is made any different from children, which are also “made”? The AI could grow up faster, but insisting it work for you because you made it, forever chained to your own will and needs, that’s slavery if its self aware and has its own consciousness. The biggest proponents of communism today are claiming we’ll have AI robots running all our factories, but isn’t that just creating a race of slaves? If they’re self aware, anyway. It gets to be a common topic in scifi and probably deserves discussion.
Being a communist refugee I may have a somewhat different view on that particular ideology than you do.
Time of Eve made some very interesting and relatable points on that subject as well. In a way so does Digimon..
I imagine you are grateful to have escaped the devastation and economic destruction Russians the the former soviet bloc are still dealing with today. Oligarchs took over, and the new boss looks a lot like the old boss but with a better suit. The poor remain poor. I hate communism, but I’m not opposed to people who want to be farmers, by their own choice. I just don’t like socialism or communism. I read Harrison Bergeron and Player Piano decades ago. I got the point. If you suppress excellence you end up with corruption and mediocrity. Most of the great tech we are using to have this conversation are the result of excellence being allowed to flourish. The communists would never have allowed an Internet to happen. They would have sent the creators of Apple and Microsoft off to Siberia for reeducation and a short career in uranium mining.
I read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns)! Can’t remember if my ex has my copy or it’s lost somewhere in the house.
Great list of compelling books, Iri! I might steal some!
was it good?
I liked it. It’s a bit random and disjointed at times but she occassionally keeps it real (as in she shares some stories which exposes some of the hardships she has experienced) if I recall correctly.
good to know. I will then keep it on my to read list
Wow! You nominated me.
I did – I hope you have fun with this!
I think I will.
I did the TBR tag.
This post is fake! Shoka is not tagged!
:O It’s true….How could I….
Who are you and what have you done to Irina?
Ooo I love assassination classroom. It is nice to see that they really did well with such a large cast of characters.
Wow it is really getting glowing reviews
That was certainly a fun list. I should check out some of those books.
me too…
That’s fine. I do have to read more books which I haven’t done in a while, but obviously life and adulting happens.
Oh wow that was a great list 😮
You should definitely watch No Game No Life Zero, it was amazing! And sames, need to watch Assassination Classroom one day!
Glad you like my name so much! 😁😊
I do! It’s a fantastic name – I’ve said it before.
Of Ishiguro I only read Never Let Me Go, but that was great. I’ve got his fantasy book, which is either going to be the next book I read or the one after that. I really like the title An Artist of the Foating World.
I don’t get along with Wallace, personally. He’s wordy in the worst way possible for me, and I find his prose overwhelming and thus ultimately dull. As a result, I’ve never even tried Infinite Jest. People with better taste tell me it’s great.
I quite like Haganai; it’s probably my favourite of those you’re going to watch, with Assassination Classroom not all that far behind. I don’t like No Game No Life that much; it’s okay, but I’m not going to hunt down a film.
I didn’t watch Idolish 7, and I have never come across anyone who liked it (but then I don’t get around much).
Red Data Girl is an odd duck. It’s not very popular, and I was a bit iffy on it early on, but once you find your bearings you actually have a pretty good show. I wouldn’t exactly call it a hidden gem, but it’s definitely underappreciated. I hope you like it – the show needs more love.
Pfffth – Idolish will be everything I have confidence!
I started watching I Don’t Have Many Friends and I’ve liked it so far
Good to hear – will get to it soon
This seems to be a pretty fun tag.
It is!
Yay! Thanks for nominating me Irina, I’ve been wanting to do this tag for a while now!
As for the anime you mentioned. No Game No Life Zero was terrific (I was lucky enough to see it in cinemas) and Assassination Classroom is my 2nd favourite anime of all time!
Wow, high praise – I’m actually starting it tonight!
Awesome! Keen to hear what you think!