Day: December 29, 2018

Book review: Confessions of a Thug

Confessions of a Thug.Confessions of a Thug by Philip Meadows Taylor.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars.

I DIDN’T CHOOSE THE THUG BOOK, THE THUG BOOK CHOSE ME.

(Oh come on, you knew it was coming.)

No, this isn’t any sort of Glock-heavy tell-all. It’s a bit older than that, though it is one of the earliest places where the term is used. So that Tupac tatt kinda began here. Also, it was a blockbuster piece of ethnographic fiction – the main character is a composite of several killers – and it boasted Queen Victoria as a fan. So now you’ve got the image of QV eagerly devouring strangling lit to get out of your brain.

Pictured: regal contemplation of unpleasant death. 


(more…)

Book review: Oishinbo: Sake

Oishinbo a la carte, Volume 2: Sake.Oishinbo a la carte, Volume 2: Sake by Tetsuya Kariya and Akira Hanasaki.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars.

The second volume of selection from the manga series featuring battling gourmands steps it up a notch. Sure, the first one talked about Japanese food and what it means to consider Japanese cuisine, but this one not only has a more consistent storyline, but it’s also about something a lot of people would think is more important: booze.

Sake, to be specific.

Damn, son. 

(more…)