The Anthropocene Reviewed

My obsession with John Green started while I was in a reading slump.

My sister handed me a copy of The Fault in Our Stars, told me the ending, and walked away. Since then I've read literally all of his books. I've cried with Pudge. I laughed with Tiny. I've gone searching for Margot. I once wrote a research paper called "The Fault in Our Schools," where I talk about the dangers of book banning. So that being said, I will buy every single book John Green publishes.

The Anthropocene Reviewed isn't a teen novel. It's a collection of essays on a human-centered planet. Pretty much, it's nearly 300 pages of John Green reviewing various things in his life. Everything from Super Mario Kart to Canada Geese to The Notes App on an iPhone. He talks about becoming a father, the secrecy of a whisper, his pandemic research, even how to defeat a groundhog.

It just feels like John Green.

If you've ever watched his vlogs, you'll love this book.

His voice is so recognizable, it'll make the book easy to read.

I give The Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.

Looking for other John Green books?

The Fault in Our Stars

Paper Towns

Looking for Alaska

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Turtles All The Way Down

Horrorstör

Two words: Haunted Ikea.

 

I was thoroughly spooked while I devoured every page of this book.

Grady Hendrix created the perfect amount of retail horror in this novel. It's set up to read like a catalogue that features all of Orsk's latest an greatest products. For instance, the Bodavest (item #5355666200) is a chair that confines movement and forces the occupant into total immobility; or the Jodlöpp (item #3927272666), an iron cap that forces the wearer into absolute submission.

If you've ever worked retail I'm sure you've thought, "I don't get paid enough for this shit." Well, that's pretty much how the employees at Orsk feel as they're wheeling a Brooka couch covered in poop off the sales floor. The employee entrance is broken. There's graffiti in the bathroom. There might even be a ghost. So when Amy is called into the office, she assumes the worst....she's going to get fired. Instead, her manager asks her and Ruth Anne to work an overnight shift patrolling the store. Strange things have been happening and Basil just doesn't want to lose his job. The three of them set out to find the person behind these disgusting acts.

Two other employees catch wind that there might be a ghost in the store considering the building used to be a penitentiary for the mentally ill. Trinity and Matt believe they could get some good footage for their hopeful Bravo series, Ghost Bomb. They sneak in through the employee entrance and get to work setting up candles and EVP recorders when the run into Amy and Ruth Anne on their first walk through.

Immediately spooky things start happening.

The bathroom walls are filling with graffiti.

There's a homeless man running through the store.

There's a seance happening while they wait for the police.

This is how they entered The Beehive.

 

Looking for other book by Grady Hendrix?

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

My Best Friend's Exorcism

The Final Girl Support Group

We Sold Our Souls

How to Sell a Haunted House

BadAsstronauts

Yearbook

 I would like to apologize to my friend Cassandra for accidentally finishing our book club pick before she even got her copy. Oops.

Seth Rogan delivered a hilarious memoir.

 

He starts by telling us how he got into standup comedy at like....12 years old. Standup wasn't just telling jokes, it was telling a funny story that happened to you that might feel relatable to an audience. So naturally, some of his first jokes were about his grandparents. That's who he spent time with, giving him ample opportunity to create content for his next act.

 

I think the stories he told from his teenage years were my favorite. He talked about awkward school dances, hanging out behind the 7/11, buying pot from a guy on a nudist beach, house parties, and so much more. It constantly had me laughing and reminiscing about my own teenage antics.

Yearbook definitely had a natural progression to it. Starting in his teenage years and working up to Seth's adult life now. I was completely unaware that he and his friend Evan wrote many of the movies Seth went on to star in. Superbad was literally based on Seth and Evan's high school experience; they even used this friends names in the movie!

I remember Pineapple Express catching my eye, Seth Rogan and James Franco? Count me in. I had just started watching it when my father came into the room and asked what I was watching. Within seconds we were both laughing. It just blows my mind to think that they both got their start on one of the most underrated television shows of all time, Freaks and Geeks. Jason Segel also starred in Freaks and Geeks, so hearing that Seth and Jason both auditioned TOGETHER for the role of Cheddar in 8 Mile, had me in absolutely tears from laughing so hard.

 

Everything about this book made me laugh. If you love Seth Rogan, you'll love this book.

The Complete Stories of Truman Capote

I'm obsessed with Truman Capote.

 

When I was at my local bookstore a few weeks ago, I got super excited when I saw a Truman Capote book I didn't have yet! So I bought it on the spot, got home to add it to my to-read shelf and realized......I already had it.

The Complete Stories of Truman Capote was the book.

It's a fantastic collection of all of Capote's early short stories. The best part of his writing is that usually there is a character that is incredibly similar to himself. Most of his stories are somewhat semi-autobiographical without blatantly telling his entire life story. Within this collection, there are many reoccurring themes. The sadness is seeped into the pages of each and every story. In my eyes, writing was a way for Truman Capote to expel his demons. It's beautiful.

Looking for other books by Truman Capote?

In Cold Blood

Other Voices, Other Rooms

The Grass Harp

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Music for Chameleons

Answered Prayers

Looking for books on Truman Capote?

Tru & Nelle

Tru & Nelle: A Christmas Tale

No Saints in Kansas

Authentic

I always wanted to be a little skater kid.

 

So, my freshman year of high school I finally bought my first pair of Vans. Some real cute purple and grey Authentic Era Vans, then set off to find my first skateboard. I ended up with a Sector9 long board and my obsession grew from there.

Naturally, when I was that the Founder of Vans, Paul Van Doren, was writing a book, I knew I wanted to hear his story. Did I really care about shoe production? Not really. But I was intrigued by the history of how and why Vans was created. Skaters embraced the Vans brand and Vans was willing to listen to what they wanted. Tony Alva, one of the original Z-Boys came into a Vans storefront and begged to just buy one shoe. Other skaters came in asking for better ankle protection, thus the SK8-Hi and jazz stripe was born. Vans realized they were really the only shoe company tackling the needs of extreme sports.

But more than that, Vans was the biggest family company around. Paul Van Doren rounded up all his kids and siblings and in-laws and created a company that would not exist without the help of the entire family. Which is why Vans relies on families. They rely on their workers, the whole team has always felt like a family.

I'm honestly obsessed with this book.

I loved reading about the skater kids coming in.

I loved reading about Vans Warped Tour.

I love how Paul Van Doren dropped shoes to raise horses later in life.

Everything about this book felt.....Authentic.