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Memoirs: The Reality TV of Literature E-mail
Book Nook Main
Written by Beth Woodward, CC2K Book Editor   

ImageFew (if any) literary genres have experienced a surge in popularity over the past few years like the memoir has.  And yet—and I mean no offense to anyone who is a fan of the genre—memoirs are, by and large, self-indulgent pieces of crap.

Memoirs are usually written for one of three reasons.  If they are written by celebrities, they are usually tools for that person to capitalize on his/her fame to make a few bucks.  If they are written by has-been celebrities, they are usually a way for that person to try to recapture his/her former glory.  And if they are written by a non-famous person, they usually exploit some circumstances of his/her life (crappy childhood, abusive parents, poverty, drug abuse, etc.) to get the author fame, notoriety, or a big fat paycheck—usually all of the above.  Top that off with all of the fabricated memoirs that have been published in recent years (A Million Little Pieces being the most famous example, but there are many others), and you have a genre that is ripe with corruption and abuse.
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Gears of War 2 – The Gears of War Keep on Turning...and That’s a Good Thing E-mail
Games Current Reviews
Written by Big Ross, CC2K Staff Writer   

ImageAfter the phenomenal success of Halo: Combat Evolved and its sequel Halo 2, many questioned if Xbox and Microsoft Studios were a one-trick pony where first person shooters were concerned.  Master Chief held the promise that the Halo franchise could be successful for the foreseeable future, but many were left wondering what the next big franchise would be, if another was even capable of competing with Bungie’s armor-clad hero.  Enter Gears of War: a third-person shooter released for the Xbox 360 on 11/09/06. GoW was initially viewed by some as filler material until Halo 3 was completed, but it quickly won over gamers with its over-the-shoulder point of view and innovative use of cover, and the game built a strong fan following in spite of perceived problems with the story and online multiplayer.  Players complained, and Epic Games listened.

Released earlier this month Gears of War 2 at once offers more of what worked and what gamers loved about GoW, and also makes strides in righting the wrongs of its predecessor.  Before we really get into the meat of the review, let’s recap how we got here.

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When Music Nerds meet Sci-Fi Geeks: Get Ready for Wizard Rock E-mail
Music Guilty Pleasures
Written by Catastrophe Waitress, Special to CC2K   

 

Image
Accio...the most fucked up musical craze in history!
When I first heard the term “Wizard Rock” I imagined that somewhere fans of Michael Whelan, Merlin and Magic Cards had gathered to celebrate sorcery and really fuck with people’s heads.  Later, the term resurfaced when a friend of mine casually mentioned that his creepy new hobby was stalking Wizard Rock bands on Myspace.  “You’re stalking Gandalf impersonators for fun?”  I asked.  “Isn’t that sort of sad and backwards?”  Satisfied in the belief that not only had I proven my knowledge of obscure musical genres, but had also managed to insert a mildly critical defamation of my friend’s character, I smiled in smug self-approval.  “Gandalf?”  My friend Laughed Out Loud (yes, this was via Instant Messenger, but that doesn’t detract from my superior coolness).  “I think you’ve been misinformed.”  It was true.  And over the next few minutes I was brutally schooled in the art of Wizard Rock, conjuring images that only got better as time progressed.
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The Graveyard Book: A Welcome Addition to Any Library E-mail
Books Current Reviews
Written by Mike Leader, Special to CC2K   

ImageI've enjoyed pretty much everything by Neil Gaiman I have read. Even though I have at times had reservations with the novels themselves, I feel that Gaiman writes with an infectious enthusiasm. He is a writer for daydreamers; his works are first and foremost exercises in pure imagination.

Nearly everything Gaiman puts his name to can be defined by the unique worlds his characters inhabit, and The Graveyard Book is no exception. Central to the story is Bod, who is orphaned at a young age and adopted by a ghostly group interred in a local cemetery. The book is structured almost like a short story collection, with episodic chapters charting Bod's growth from baby to child to young man. This approach means that some sections stand alone as wonderful stories.  (In fact, one of the standout chapters, "The Witch's Headstone," was previously published in M is For Magic, a collection of child-friendly short stories.)

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Twilight Movie Not Bad, But Lacks Fangs E-mail
Movies Current Reviews
Written by Beth Woodward, CC2K Book Editor   

ImageThe answers to two questions will decide the fate of the much-anticipated film Twilight: will it resonate with the fans of Stephenie Meyer’s popular young adult novels, and does this movie have cross-over appeal for people who haven’t read the books?

As both a fan and a critic of the series, my feeling is this: there is something in Twilight to appeal to both audiences, but it will not fully satisfy either.  Many of the fans will be disappointed by the creative licenses in the film (which, compared to some adaptations I’ve seen, are actually relatively minor, but Twilight’s fans are a notoriously fanatical lot), and average moviegoers (and perhaps many of the fans) will feel like this movie lacks cohesion, that it tries too hard to be too many things and never finds a tone that fits.
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