The 3rd Annual Aaron Book Awards

Welcome once again to the 3rd Annual Aaron Book Awards! I will start off with some disappointing news: the total number of books I read this year is 23, down from 35 from last year. And I don’t really have an excuse, since I graduated from university earlier this year and should have had time to read lots… although I was working two jobs for a while. And writing (or procrastinating and pretending to write). And I did read a lot more novels this year than last year, so maybe I actually read more in quantity… anyway! I’m sure you’re not dying to know who won what, so I’ll just get to it.

Without further ado…

Best Play

Winner: The Normal Heart — Larry Kramer

Well, yet again, I only read one play this year, but it was a fucking awesome one. I had been wanting to read it for a while and it was only after watching Ryan Murphy’s film adaptation earlier this year — which left me in a giant puddle of tears — that I was finally able to get a copy from the library.

Can’t recommend this play enough.

Best Children’s Book

Sort of winner? A Pussycat’s Christmas — Margaret Wise Brown

I have to explain.

This book was not on my list of books to read (obviously. Really!). I happened to come upon it while working at the library one day, and took a picture of it to send to someone who looooooves cats. One thing lead to another, and I borrowed the book. But I couldn’t just not read it, so I did.

And honestly, it wasn’t very good. Yeah, the pictures are great because, well, there’s a fluffy cat in them, but the writing itself meanders and is, for a picture book, kind of underwhelming. But I didn’t read any other children’s book this year, and I don’t think this book deserves it. So… I’ll just leave it like that.

Best YA Novel:

Winner:  Openly Straight — Bill Konigsberg

First of all, this was a tough decision. I really enjoyed both Openly Straight and Just Between Us; they both had wonderful protagonists and dealt with a lot of topical gay issues. I have to hand it to Mr. Konigsberg for his fantastic characterization of not just his main characters, but to all of his characters. It’s a skillful technique that has definitely made me think about with my own writing. Plus, the witty humour throughout is simply irresistible.

Nominees: Just Between Us — J.H. Trumble
Openly Straight — Bill Konigsberg

Best Non-Fiction Book

Winner: Toxin, Toxout — Bruce Lourie, Rick Smith

I think this is a difficult category to judge because these books are all so different in their own right. I included It Gets Better because although it is made up of creative non-fiction narratives, its purpose is to educate and provide support to people, the way many self-help and sociological books do.

Ultimately, Toxin, Toxout, the follow-up to last year’s winning Slow Death by Rubber Duck, is our winner this year! Another informative, alarming, and Canadian (!) book about everyday invisible toxins in our lives. If Slow Death by Rubber Duck sounded the alarm on toxins, this book is the therapy session that provides us hope.

Nominees: Toxin, Toxout — Bruce Lourie, Rick Smith

Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities — Patrick Condon

It Gets Better — eds. Dan Savage and Terry Miller

Best Graphic novel/Manga

Winner: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (vols. 5-7) — Hayao Miyazaki

This might be unfair because I picked Nausicaa last year and I hadn’t even finished reading the series… but too bad.

Nominees: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (vols. 5-7) — Hayao Miyazaki

Artifice — Alex Woolfson

Persepolis — Marjane Satrapi

Scott Pilgrim (vols. 4-5) — Bryan Lee O’Malley

Best Memoir/Autobiography

Winner: Nothing to Envy — Barbara Demick

A sobering, devastating, horrific, shocking, and moving piece of journalism. Thanks to David Sedaris for recommending it. I think it’s one of the creative non-fiction books I’ve read.

Nominees: The Bucolic Plague — Josh Kilmer Purcell

Nothing to Envy — Barbara Demick

Persepolis — Marjane Satrapi

Bossypants — Tina Fey

It Gets Better — eds. Dan Savage and Terry Miller

Best Novel (Fiction)

Winner: The Year of the Flood — Margaret Atwood

This was the year of Margaret Atwood. Gotta hand it to her for creating such a frightening depiction of the future. This is what speculative fiction is all about.

I also want to give a shout-out to The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet for being ambitious in language and style. I’d argue that most writers today care more about characters or story or other aspects of writing, and less about language. Mitchell is all about language in this one. It’s not a book for everyone, for sure, but you do have to admire his dedication to words you’ve probably never heard of before.

Nominees: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet — David Mitchell

Oryx and Crake — Margaret Atwood

Fahrenheit 451 — Ray Bradbury

The Year of the Flood — Margaret Atwood

Maddaddam — Margaret Atwood

And the final category: Best Book of 2014

Winner: Nothing to Envy — Barbara Demick
Honorable mention: The Year of the Flood — Margaret Atwood

Goals for next year: read more plays and children’s books!

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: Books 6 and 7

Finished Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and oh god, what a ride. The ending was a bit abrupt, and I got the feeling Miyazaki thought the series could go on forever, but it was still a solid climax. And so much death… I found myself wondering how the same guy who made cute little Ponyo came up with this incredibly dark graphic novel full of people dying on every panel. What a brilliant and oddly disturbing man.

So here is me and my naked back. I was gonna show my butt but I thought that might be too graphic so I had the books cover it. My naked butt is behind there though, if you want to know… and no, it wasn’t actually touching the books, so if you kids end up borrowing these copies from the library, you’re fine to rub it all over your face.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: Book 5

God, this series is surprisingly dark and violent. Hard to believe this is the same man who went on to make Ponyo.

Oh, and jockstrap. Ha.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Book 4)

Me and my new green underwear, to match Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. If you look close enough you might be able to see past my underwear… but of course no one’s going to do that. Right?

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Books 2 & 3)

The only time you will see me shirtless and in bed with two women.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Book 1)

I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, but it wasn’t until a co-worker raved about the awesomeness of the graphic novel versions of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind that I remembered it was on my reading list. The books are pretty short and easy, fast reads.

A definite read for any fans of the movie or fans of Miyazaki. The only thing I have to say right now is that there’s A LOT of dying, so be prepared for that (or not, whatever).

Also, excuse my face; I was doing (wearing?) a mask and I couldn’t move my face.

What happens when you listen to Joe Hisaishi

Instead of writing your play, you want another Studio Ghibli marathon at the Pacific Cinematheque like the did last year  (and earlier this year).

Also, you realize just how extraordinary and amazing this man is.

30 Day Movie Challenge: Day 24: Movie with your favorite soundtrack

Maybe I’m merely making assumptions about people, but I don’t think the average person who watches a film cares much about the soundtrack — I’m talking original soundtrack as opposed to a collection of songs that the producers shelled out to pay for — after watching a film.

[If I’m not super tired when I come home tonight, I’ll post more]

One Summer’s Day (theme from Spirited Away) — Joe Hisaishi

Okay, so this obviously is not Classical music but a film score.  To be fair, this is under “Classical” music after all, so there.  Also, this is a fantastic, beautiful piece composed by the brilliant Joe Hisaishi, who I admire greatly and daresay he’s leagues better than some overrated American composers who I will not name (*coughJohnWilliamscough*).

Every time I hear the broken chords in the first few bars, it makes me sigh with nostalgia, remembering the movie so well and the feelings and emotions I experienced.  Spirited Away is one of my all-time favourite films and this track is full of the spirit of the film in a way I obviously cannot describe (not just because I’m super tired right now).

Anyway, I’m a loss of brain power so I will leave it at that.  If you haven’t seen Spirited Away, then what the f—?!