State of the Blog Address
Yay! Fall has arrived. It's one of my favorite times of the year (or at least in the top four), with the weather changing ever-so-slightly and Halloween right around the corner. I know people accuse Los Angelenos of not having weather changes but we do. We just can't help it that every season is just a variation of "perfect." That's why our rent is so damn expensive, so get out of our faces already! But seriously, I really am looking forward to spending Halloween in my new apartment complex filled with kids. This year, I'm keeping the costume simple and authentic--that's right, the Wicked Witch of the West. And none of that "sexy witch " crap either. We're talking big, black skirt, pointy hat and green face make-up. I'm already genetically predisposed to being able to successfully pull off the look (have you seen my chin and nose?) and LOVE face paint above all else.
More on Lisa's ghoulish plans for October after the jump...
My only gripe with the season is that the winds seem to be carrying with them lots and lots of allergens that make me look like an allergy zombie. Speaking of zombies, I'm not a huge fan of the genre, but have recently become completely obsessed with a series of books by author, Max Brooks. On two road trips to Phoenix (that's 24 hours on the road, my friends), my boyfriend and I listened to the audiobooks, "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War" and "The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead." Max Brooks is the son of actress Anne Bancroft and director, Mel Brooks, and wrote for Saturday Night Live from 2001 until 2003. His dark sense of humor and attention to detail really make these books a completely enthralling read.
You should really read "The Survival Guide" first and then follow it with "World War Z," because the second is just so good that I'm afraid it would ruin it if you read it before its predecessor. During our listening of "The Survival Guide," there was a whole section on weapons. Under the list of bludgeoning weapons, we were told that an aluminum baseball bat was a light-weight, convenient choice for bashing in zombie skulls, but that tests have shown that the bats eventually begin to bend.
I knew my boyfriend and I were getting WAY too sucked in to the story when my boyfriend paused the book to say to me, "I don't know. I really think I could do some serious damage with one of those bats." To which I answered by shaking my head skeptically and stating, "I stand by his recommendation for a titanium crow-bar. You've also got that pointy end to work with."
"World War Z" is a "War of the Worlds"-like description of the near-extinction of the human race, told from the points of view of various survivors from nations all over the world. The hypothetical reactions of each government really rang true to me, and it actually made me want to sign up for a history class, just so I could figure out what Brooks was making up and what was actually fact mixed in with his fiction. All in all, these books are a spooky, but fun way to get into the spirit of the season this month and come highly recommended by yours truly. But don't take my word for it! This has been Reading Rainbow! Just kidding. But seriously, the books are GOOD and an easy read, because I've become lazy in my old age.
In any case, enjoy the turning of the foliage and stay well-medicated during this allergy season!
Yours sneezily,
Lisa T.
Editor
A Socialite's Life
Any tips for surviving attacks from the undead can be sent to lisa@socialitelife.celebuzz.com
Colby says:
I picked up "World War Z" after David Sedaris recommended it at a reading last Spring, its one of the CRAZIEST books I have ever read. Parts of it are truly terrifying, but Brooks has done something original with the usual "end of the world/zombie" plotline.