Image: Melissa Nucera, Flight
Even though it's a well-known fact that most reading challenges are like the book blog equivalent of Loserpalooza, I have nothing mean to say about the annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril festivities hosted by Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings (click here for details). In fact, I've wanted to join in at least the last two years in a row prior to this without having been able to get my antisocial act together in time. This year, however, I've decided to give it a go and will be reading and watching a mix of novels, short stories, and movies from the Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, and Supernatural wings of the bookstore or videostore during the R.I.P. VI months of September and October (OK, maybe not that fourth genre since the only fantasy I like to indulge in is pretending that cute twenty-something baristas will one day stop objectifying me for my looks when they serve me up my iced lattés and instead concentrate on that stack of Bolaños and Prousts carried in the crooks of my brooding, melancholy, but evidently still manly forty-something arms). So what will I be reading? Not sure at this point. However, I'm looking forward to some classic U.S. crime heavyweights (James M. Cain, Chandler, Hammett, Patricia Highsmith, Chester Himes, Jim Thompson) for the novels and novellas and some international authors (including some Latin Americans, for sure) to head up the list of the short story writers. Until then, since I forgot to mention anything horror-related in this post, here's some trashy r&r for you as a genre gift from me to you!
Jukebox: Les Sexareenos, "Everybody Sexareeno!"
Entradas
OMG: brooding, melancholy, but evidently still manly forty-something arms! I feel like ripping my bodice! Regardless, there's still no denying you are about to become an official Loser of Palooza fame! Can't wait to see how much even-darker-than-usual your selections will be for RIP VI!
ResponderBorrar2 p.s. es. Or, p.s. and pps:
ResponderBorrar1. Thank you for causing me to lose my breakfast over the video
2. You actually might want to **consider** for RIPVI reading the book I reviewed yesterday, The Last Werewolf. The werewolf bit is really just metaphorical, and the darkness, the weltschmerz, the sadism, the sex the multiple literary allusions and felicitous turns of phrase - all seem right up your alley!
If the post was not good enough for a laugh out loud moment, I get Jill chiming in too. I feel happiness in the moment that could only be elevated in you asking Jill to borrow her copy of The Last Werewolf.
ResponderBorrarYou know I am Highsmith fan so can't wait to see what you choose from the works of a favorite misanthrope. I might even copycat your read if time permits.
Wow, thanks for the nice compliments. I definitely don't emphasize the "challenge". I just want to get together with folks and do some shared reading and discussing of good, or not so good, books. I'm glad you are taking part. I am working on a Chandler book myself for the challenge. I should try to work another Dashiell Hammett in too but I'm not sure if I'll have time. I've been in the mood lately, though. Never enough time to read.
ResponderBorrarThanks for joining in with us. Hope you enjoy the event.
Laughing and gagging at the same time - what a combination. LOVE the video. :) Can't wait to see what you end up reading and so glad you're joining in this year.
ResponderBorrarWow, it seems like everyone I read is joining in this year. I look forward to your posts, as I'm currently in a mystery-reading mood myself, and am curious about the international short stories that will fit the tone. I haven't yet read any of the "classic US crime heavyweights" but they are definitely on my radar.
ResponderBorrarSo glad you're joining in, Richard, and I can't wait to see what you choose to read. Um, that video though, shocked I am, really shocked.
ResponderBorrarI'm so surprised and pleased that you are joining and looking forward to your reviews. I see you go for some gritty crime novels.
ResponderBorrarI'm not much of a challenge person but this is different.
I haven't watched the video..
(Why did you change the comment form. It used to be soo easy?)
Oh Richard, you got me a present for the disgust project! A butchery & cannibalism video, just what I always wanted. :-)
ResponderBorrarSeriously everyone on my blogroll is joining RIP this year! Don't know if I can stand the peer pressure...
*Jill: Ripping your bodice? You make me feel like Tom Jones! Or, eww, Rosemary Rogers? Can't think of any more modern day entertainer equivalents for all the youngsters to understand the comparisons, but I guess any mention of undergarments (almost) being torn off in response to one of my posts is a watershed moment in this blog's tender young history--thanks for the laugh! P.S. Will keep that Werewolf suggestion in mind, if only to maintain Frances' happiness-by-proxy. And the video? As they say, there's no free lunch!
ResponderBorrar*Frances: I was leaning toward Strangers on a Train for the Highsmith to possibly start at the beginning of her novelistic career, but I'm not entirely sure right now (plus, I still have your recs from last year). In the meantime, while I'd thought about publicly asking Jill to borrow that book that she mentioned just to maintain your sugar high, I eventually got worried that she might actually take me up on it! In any event, happy to be reading along with you two as always.
*Carl: Thanks for the visit and the welcome and for hosting the festivities in the first place! I guess it's the event rather than the challenge nature of R.I.P. that strikes me as appealing, but the real proof in the pudding is the number of satisfied readers I've seen participate in it over the years. Look forward to seeing what you make of that Chandler and am glad to be playing along this year. Cheers!
*Sarah: Glad to hear you enjoyed the video, esp. after seeing Gavin's horrified reaction last night. Laughing and gagging is how I imagine I'd respond to a Justin Bieber video if I ever saw one--well, except for the laughing part anyway! Anyway, I look forward to see what you end up choosing for your R.I.P. reads as well.
*Amanda: I've been craving some crime/mysteries for a while now, so the event was well-timed in that I don't really have any excuses not to join in this year. Will be on the lookout for your R.I.P. reads, mystery or otherwise. Cheers!
*Gavin: Sorry that you found that video a little shocking, but if it's any consolation to you I don't anticipate posting any other grossout horror clips with music during Carl's event! In the meantime, glad that you and so many of my other blogger friends are participating in R.I.P. again this year so I don't feel like such a total newbie to the party.
*Caroline: Thanks for the enthusiastic welcome--it'll be nice to compare notes with you during the event! I might change the comments settings again sometime soon, but I was beginning to receive more spam comments than legitimate ones at various times during the week--and I was getting tired of deleting them every day. I'm sorry the new set-up for comments is a bit of a pain, but there are too many anonymous users out there who have nothing better to do than send out spam comments it would seem. No way for me to block them without blocking ALL anonymous comments, which unfortunately prohibits the easy url sign-on that you and others have used here in the past.
*Emily: Ha ha, your Disgust Project was at least half the reason I posted that "present" for you! Just didn't want to tip you off that you'd find a parody of a slasher movie over here since it'd ruin the surprise. Anyhow, hope you're able to find the time/interest to join R.I.P. in some fashion, esp. since I believe you were talking about some prospective über-dorky contributions over at Frances' blog as I recall. Very curious to see what you have up your sleeve!
Can I recommend H.P. Lovecraft and his great influence, Arthur Machen?
ResponderBorrarOK, I just came back to watch the video, and... Wow. Is there a whole genre of horror music video? Please keep them coming. I expect one to accompany each of your R.I.P. posts.
ResponderBorrar*E.L. Fay: Not sure I'm a Lovecraft or Machen type of guy, but I'll keep them in mind if I can find something short by them (Lovecraft I have in a gothic short story anthology at least). Belated thanks for the recomendations, though!
ResponderBorrar*Isabella: Sorry for the delay in responding to your comment, but I'm delighted to see that your "wow" vote cancels out Gavin's "really shocked" vote (fun fact: Les Sexareenos were practically "neighbors" of yours, hailing as they did from Montreal). Anyway, now I can feel free to be impertinent in the video department again, ha ha!
Thankfully I read the comments before clicking on the video. I am very very squeamish... so I'll just content myself with your prose. You know, I had never thought to put hardboiled American crime on my list, but why not? I encourage you towards Ross Macdonald, who was a find for me earlier in the year. He's more psychoanalytic than Chandler and Hammett, which is a good thing on my terms, anyway.
ResponderBorrar*Litlove: I at first thought that reading the hardboiled writers might be playing a little fast and loose with the "mystery" rules, but in a couple of trips to the bookstores I was surprised to see how many blurb writers played loose with the terms "crime" and "mystery" and "suspense" and "thriller" on the covers of those books anyway. Thanks so much for suggesting Macdonald--not sure that I ever read anything by him, but I've seen a couple of movie adaptations of his works that I remember liking OK + there's a slew of reissues of him of late that have been calling my name with their striking cover art! Am also considering a reread of Walter Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress, at least partially inspired by your recent review of it. Cheers!
ResponderBorrar