A blog by Cameron and Shannon

I know I owe you an article on Quicksilver, but I’m going to write about books. (My primary excuse is the amount of time it takes to compile screenshots into something reasonably understandable. But fear not; all that means is I’m going to make sure it’s worth reading.)

My secondary excuses, however, are legion, spanning time, space, and medium. For instance, two days ago I bought an XBox 360 and Grand Theft Auto IV. I now have access to dozens of free game demos, some distressingly addictive arcade games, and an insanely interactive full-size metropolitan city (including some extremely entertaining multiplayer) — not to mention the looming opportunity I now have to buy any number of used XBox games for pocket change. (I’ve never owned a current gaming system, which significantly adds to my excitement.)

We constantly have 3 movies from Netflix on top of our TV. Last night we caught up on The Office via Hulu, through which we also need to watch the latest 30 Rock. Indiana Jones hits theaters next week. I’ve forgotten about Top Chef for 3 weeks now. Every morning my RSS reader (a sprightly 14 feeds) hits me with dozens of new posts to read. Yesterday my newest issue of The Believer arrived, which means I now have 4 issues of which I have only read Sedaratives (and maybe the one interview/article about a person whose name I recognized). I’m also putting a lot of time into my upcoming photography site.

I am clogged with entertainment. I already feel like an amusement-bloated American and I haven’t even upgraded to HD. How do people manage to own (or ever need) DVRs? Digital cable? That 5-movie Netflix plan? I have a very low tolerance for most all media (too low, I am told) but I already have more entertainment at my fingertips than I could ever handle. If I was any less critical, I’d be drowned — submerged — in things I found entertaining.

Sigh. Alright, this post is about books. Let’s talk about books.

A few days ago, after much urging by a few people over the years, I finally picked up Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. I nearly bought it when we went to McKay’s, but they wanted 5 bucks for a used paperback, despite having a multitude in stock (seriously, like a dozen of the exact same binding). So I held off, and settled for a dozen-odd other games, books, and movies. (Seriously, if you live in Nashville, you have to go to McKay’s.)

So I started it on our semibiweekly evening at Borders. I then bought it and finished it the following night. After I finished the last page, I closed the book carefully, set it down, and spent the next 10 minutes in silence, bathing in the experience of reading one of the best books I have ever read (and allowing my heart rate to return to normal).

(I am tempted to describe Ender’s Game as Harry Potter meets Starship Troopers, but that’s doing it a terrible disservice, like describing The Matrix as “Blade meets Tron”.)

Don’t look it up on Wikipedia, don’t ask your friend who’s already read it to give you an overview. Just read it. The writing isn’t high literature or pulp sci-fi — it’s just clean, with occasional strokes of elegance. Ender’s Game will take you by surprise, even if you’ve read my hyperbolized account of the experience. I’m buying the sequel the next time I’m at Borders.

On the topic of books that have been absorbing my time, I’ve also been reading the Legacy Of The Force series, but that’s done more as a duty to the part of my brain that requires intimate knowledge of what Luke Skywalker & Co. are up to in the paperback-publishing world. You don’t have to read those. Read Ender’s Game.

Shannon also recommended that I read The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien, which is very effective and balanced creative nonfiction set in the Vietnam War. I enjoyed it, and especially recommend it to anyone who is feeling a little too patriotic and morally superior about our current 7-year-long war.

For my sister’s 13th birthday, I bought her a copy of Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things That Aren’t as Scary, Maybe, Depending on How You Feel About Lost Lands, Stray Cellphones, Creatures from the Sky, Parents Who Disappear in Peru, a Man Named Lars Farf, and One Other Story We Couldn’t Quite Finish, So Maybe You Could Help Us Out, an immensely entertaining collection of stories (published by McSweeney’s) for children who are tired of stories for children and adults who want to read something immensely entertaining. (I have a copy and can attest to that.) My mother told me yesterday she was forced to take the book away so my sister would go to bed. I am happy when a gift is appreciated so.