My Top 10 (Revised) Books

Hi everyone!

Well, I’ve just completed the first half of my 2014 music festival, and so far it’s been fun. Since I don’t want to overwhelm myself with a tight schedule like I did with my anime review marathon, I’ve decided to have the month of March dedicated to other works. Specifically, March will be dedicated to revisions & previously promised posts. Once this is over with, April & May will be devoted to music once again!

As you know, I posted up my Top 10 books around the middle of the summer last year (Click “***” to read), and I found that to be the toughest of my top 10 lists. In the months since then, I’ve come across some more amazing books, but I don’t want to create a new list for them. With that said, I’ve decided to revise my original list of books that I like. You’ll still see most of the original titles I’ve put on that list, with a couple switched around, and maybe some changes to their descriptions. With that said, let’s take a look at a revised list of my top 10 favorite books. Enjoy!

10) Harry Potter franchise

It’s a safe bet to say that anybody from my generation (And perhaps those before mine) has read this book series, and to any religious fanatic that still complains about this book series will burn in the fiery death pits of Hell. In fact, this was one of the book series that further increased my desire for reading & books!

What makes the Harry Potter series so good are two things. First off if J.K. Rowling. Her writing skill is very unique, as she puts down some mature things, yet she manages to not make young readers (And even older readers to a degree) feel stupid or talk down to them. Not only that, but she’s created a unique world, where elements that are familiar yet different come together to form almost a living, breathing universe that almost seems real, and you want to go to Harry’s world because of how unique it is.

The second component is the story itself. To not spoil it for those very few people who haven’t read the books (Or watched the movies), here’s a quick summary: The story revolves around a boy named Harry Potter. At a very young age, his parents were slain by a dark wizard, and was sent to live with his aunt & uncle by wizards who knew his mother & father. When he reaches his early teens, he gets a note (Delivered to him by an Owl) from a place called Hogwarts. The letter tells him that he’s been accepted as a student, and they’ll teach him the ways of magic. After getting away from his aunt & uncle, he arrives at the school, and beings a 7-year journey of making friends & enemies, learning the ways of magic & mysticism, and uncovering secrets that were perhaps best left in the shadows. Each of the books in the series has everything you’d expect in a story like this: love, betrayal, death, etc. What makes the story good is that it’s done in a way that’s not hard for young people to understand, but it doesn’t make them feel stupid in the slightest. Any book series that can do this deserves to be praised for all time, or at the very least respected.

9) A Million Little Bricks

I only discovered this book around late September/October 2012, and got it for Christmas not long after. Part history guide, part picture gallery, and part resource material are all found within this book. But what exactly is this manuscript, you might ask?

Well, this book is an unofficial history of the Lego Group. From it’s humble origins as a small collection of wooden toy makers, to the titans of plastic known around the work, A Million Little Bricks talks about the history of Legos, from beginning to the present (2011 present, to be specific), and along the way they show pictures of the original wooden toys they made, to Lego sets both old & new. There’s also segments where they talk about the many individuals of the Lego Group that have worked with the company, and the contributions that they brought to the table.

I can only smile when I read this. When I look at all the pictures, I try to see which sets I have, and which sets I’ve only seen. Even when there weren’t any pictures, I always looked through the book to find sets (Or various builds of sets) that I own. It is for the reason of pure nostalgia that A Million Little Bricks takes a spot on this list.

8) Chobits & Rosario + Vampire: Seasons 1 & 2**

I don’t have much in the way of manga. All I have is the Plastic Little: Captain’s Log manga, three volumes of the original Tenchi Muyo manga, a small handful of free manga from Genericon 2013, Some Ranma ½ & Inuyasha manga, and the first volume of With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, which is a unique series in it’s own right. What gets Chobits onto this list is A: how charming it is, and B: the theme of the manga.

Without delving heavily into the thick of it (Click on “***” to read my review on the Chobits series, where you’ll also find a description of the story), the theme of Chobits is man’s desire (Some would say obsession) for technology, and just how much closer we are to becoming machines ourselves. It’s surprisingly deep & philosophical, and it’s an issue that’s becoming more & more relevant in this age. To supplement this serious theme, there’s also plenty of moments for comedy, drama, and romance. The two sides never overwhelm each other, but they meld at numerous points throughout the manga, making for an enjoyable read.

Rosario + Vampire, on the other hand, is a bit of a different creature. R+V looks, feels, and acts very much like a shonen manga, but unlike a standard shonen manga, this one attempts to be something more. There’s themes of love, comedy, tragedy, friendship, intolerance, and acceptance among others. It works sometimes, but other times it tries to hard. Regardless, Rosario + Vampire is a load of fun to read. The world within the comic is a familiar take on eastern & western monster myths, but the spin put on them is rather unique. If you’re up for something fun & clever, then give this comic a go.

7) Venus Illustrations: Satoshi Urushihara Illustrations & Plastic Little: Captain’s Log

I have to laugh at this choice. When I first looked at the front cover, it appeared as though it was printed in the United States. English on the front, and English on the back. To my surprise, when I was flipping through the book, I noticed that all the wording, with a couple exceptions, was entirely in German. It turns out that this collection of artwork was printed by a German comic company (Carsen Comics), and not in the United States. “Facepalm”

In all seriousness, I’m not really complaining, because it’s the art that takes the center stage. If you remember from my Plastic Little review in late 2011, the first positive I said was that Satoshi Urushihara did the artwork in the show, and he does the artwork here. He really has a godlike grasp on drawing women: their faces look real, and their bodies are absolutely stunning. The man really knows how to draw breasts & nipples (You’d swear to god that they were real), vaginas (Again, you’d swear that they’re real), and in a odd twist, pubic hair around the vagina (Yet again, the pubic hair practically looks real). The artwork is just stunning, and I seriously liked everything that was within the book.

The same applies to Plastic Little: Captain’s Log. Based off of the OVA, this out-of-print manga contains the same art style & theme as the pictures within the art book, only the images in the comic were black & white. As for the story, it’s not the most complex around (It takes place 6 months after the OVA, and focuses more on the individual characters rather than a overarching plot), but it’s fun & simple enough that you can easily get behind it. Coupled with the previously mentioned artwork, and you have a nice little comic.

6) Shogun: Volumes 1 & 2

This book series was given to me about halfway through 2012 (March or April, I think), from an acquaintance I worked for in 2011/2012 because she knew about my love of Japanese culture (I talked to her about it a couple times). I had never heard of Shogun before hand, and I’m kind of ashamed, because this was one of the greatest reads I’ve ever had!

What makes Shogun such a remarkable book series how much it’s based off of real-world history. Taking place a couple months before the iconic “Battle of Sekigahara”, many of the characters are based off of real-life people. The daimyo Toranaga is based on the real ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the heroics of John Blackthorne are based off of the exploits of English sailor William Adams. Shogun is filled with many other interesting characters, and you see how they change & die (How some die, anyways) over the course of the two volumes. Although fictional in just about every way, the story of Shogun is so vivid you’d swear that it is real.

5) Ministry: The Lost Gospels According To Al Jourgensen

I’ve read plenty of biographies/autobiographies over the past couple years, and I didn’t like most of them. Apart from maybe 1 or 2 of them (1 was wrestling related, and the other I’ve forgotten), I’ve found that they all seem manufactured. They either seem too egocentric, or they don’t quite seem as truthful as they proclaim. With that said, after reading the biography of Al Jourgensen, I was impressed.

For starters, there’s no way that Al could have bullshitted the reader. His stories are so insane, so filled with debauchery, drugs, and other filthy things, that it’s completely believable. Not only that, but there’s an incredible amount of sincerity & emotion within each story. I felt like I was right in the room with Al as he was writing this, watching him put down each word, and seeing him down a gallon of beer. If you would like to see one of the most sincere, twisted, warped, and bizarre musicians of metal history, pick up The Lost Gospels According To Al Jourgensen. Just be sure to have a cigarette and some alcohol nearby, and have the lights as dim as the setting sun.

4) Dante’s Inferno***

Much like the Satoshi Urushihara art collection, my acquisition of Dante’s Inferno was kind of a funny story.

Back in around 2004/2005, me and a (At the time) friend were watching a special on the History Channel about the interpretation of Hell throughout the cultures of the world. At one point, the special talks about Dante Alighieri, and his writing of the first part of the Divine Comedy. It went into some of his background, what he was thinking during the writing, and even goes into some of the circles of Hell. I was really interested in what I saw, so I asked my Mom if she could get me a copy, and a couple weeks later, she got me one.

Dante’s Inferno was a very intriguing read. The way Dante wrote it was done in a very poetic manner, enough to the point that it could get confusing if you don’t pay enough attention. Despite this, Dante’s Inferno creates a vivid, almost realistic description of the darkness below us. From the top to the bottom, we’re shows what’s in store for souls who’ve gone against the way of god. From windstorms that batter the lustful, to a river of boiling blood for those who’ve slaughtered the innocent, to a dark cavern where the traitors of the world are frozen for all eternity, Dante creates an unholy world, through which he travels to gain an understanding of evil, and to bear witness to famous souls who are being tortured for all eternity for their crimes on Earth. Some of those souls were his enemies in life, and others were famous historical figures, known for their dark acts during their living days.

Surreal, evocative, and creative, Dante’s Inferno is a book for those who want to be entertained & enthralled.

3) The Nazi Occult War: Hitler’s Compact With The Forces Of Evil

Besides being a fan of World Wrestling Entertainment, I’m also quite interested in World War 2 history. Having met many veterans (Combative & Otherwise) from that time, and becoming friends with some of them, it has made me much more curious about what went on during the time. My particular interest from WW2 is about the Nazi’s occult activities during that time, especially since that it is rarely covered in history books. Fortunately, I was given a copy of this book as a gift late last year, and it was a intriguing yet disturbing read.

It’s both amazing, and horrifying, by just how far these men (And rarely women) went to establish their beliefs. Even more incredible is how much of their ideologies/beliefs was based off of ignorance & racism, not to mention how insane many of them were. Yet, you can’t deny the power that these men wield, along with the allure & potency of their beliefs. My advice, if you’re interested in more obscure World War 2 history, then I would find & buy this book!

2) The Polar Express

This is one of the oldest books on the list that I remember. For the longest time, I would read this every Christmas Eve with my parents. We would hunker down in bed, put the accompanying tape into the cassette player, and just read along with the tape. To top it all off, when time came to ring the silver bell that also came with the book, the little bell would be wrung. Although my family and I haven’t read the book since I think 2004, the innocent ringing of that bell still echoes in my head.

For anyone that didn’t read the book (Or didn’t watch the movie), The Polar Express is about a young boy on Christmas Eve, who awakens to the sounds of a train outside his house (Maybe the author was a tiny bit high on LSD?). Curiosity causes him to rise from his bed, and hop onto the train. The boy meets many other kids about his age, who tell him that the train is headed to the North Pole, and that they’ll get the chance to see Santa Claus. I can’t reveal the rest of the story, but if you noticed anything in the above paragraph, you might get a clue or two.

My advice: get this book, and read it with your family!

1) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

It’s really funny that I’m concluding this list with children’s books, but I’m being sincerely honest about what’s on this list. In fact, this was one of the first books I ever read when I was a kid. Ironically, my parents didn’t help me read much. I was almost always reading by myself, and they would only come in if I was having difficulty with saying a word or two.

So what about the story? Basically, the story was about the experiences of one of the author’s sons. To sum things up, the kid goes through the kind of Hell that kids around his age: getting picked on by his brothers, getting in trouble at school and at one of his parents’s jobs, and all other sorts of bad things. It gets so bad, the son wants to move to Australia to get away from all of his trouble. But right at the end, the mother comes to him, and basically says that “Everybody has bad days, even for people who live in Australia.” Just that one sentence makes me remember the entire book, and somehow, someway, I still hold onto the simple lessons it taught me when I was that age.

If you’re a parent, and you’re looking for a book to read with your children, then I sincerely recommend Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. You’re nuts if you don’t get this for your kids!

See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!



**
Now that I look at it, I have a lot more Manga then I thought.

***
About halfway through last year, I let a friend/acquaintance borrow my copy, and she accidentally lost it in her own book collection. Fortunately, my Mom managed to snag not only The Inferno, but the complete Divine Comedy. Talk about luck!

****
Genericon 2014 was an absolute blast! I’ll post up a review of it later this week (Maybe during the weekend).