fujiwark scribbled: With exaggerated reenactments, personal interviews, and a captivating finale, ExecTV is the ultimate reality TV program and a provocative social satire.

fujiwark scribbled: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, posing as Will Armstrong, is alive and composing. "The Amadeus Net" is a comedic opera set in 2028 with a diverse cast and rich stories

fujiwark scribbled: Crabtree has created a genre-busting work of British humor and fantastical plot with adventure, mystery, romance, tea drinking, and a dysfunctional family.

fujiwark scribbled: Justin Bryant's "Season of Ash" is the story of three young men facing their respective crossroads. Guided by a fervent optimism tempered by past oppression, these young men represent the generation standing to inherit the future of their country.

fujiwark scribbled: Christopher Largen's "Junk" is a confectionery treat, tracing the lives of disparate yet interconnected individuals in the government's "War on Junk Food."

fujiwark scribbled: A funny satire about an individual’s rights in society. The protagonist’s quirks and annoyance at being disturbed make this dystopian novel fresh and engaging.

fujiwark scribbled: Ray Cavanaugh's "Dear Mr. Unabomber" contains a series of letters and accompanying drawings addressed to the incarcerated Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. This epistolary novel is the work of an underachieving college student, disillusioned by the plethora of now ubiquitous social networking sites. His attraction to "Dear Ted" as he begins each letter stems from an appreciation of Kaczynksi's ideas supporting deindustrialization. Yet the writer's letters reveal more than blind hero worship as he occasionally critiques and even explicitly differentiates himself from the felon. Writing letters to a famous anarchist focuses the protagonist's interests and permits him to be, at times, painfully honest. While he passes judgment on fellow college students' use of sites like Facebook and MySpace, he details his personal excursions stemming from match.com dates and vigilante emails. Additionally, he recounts blog conversations with more interest than Instant Messenger chats with his best friend. He's adept at spotlighting superficial interactions, like his hilarious portrayal of an imaginary chat between the Unabomber and Paris Hilton, but he fails to similarly analyze his own shallow relationships (failed match.com romances) or note his shortcomings in face-to-face interactions (arguably the worst job interview ever). This book is a smart look at the dangers of a society reliant on technology to interact with others, especially the individuals unable to engage in the real world. After reading this book, one seriously questions who is the person behind the profile, has technology begun replacing real life interactions, and what happens to fan mail? Recommended for psych majors or anyone interested in the darker side of human nature.

fujiwark scribbled: Craig Forgrave's Devil Jazz places the good versus evil story in modern times. Satan, posing as the friendly alien Armageddon, has risen from a long slumber in the ancient pyramids to aid humanity. Underneath the act and back in his natural form, he has enlisted Adolf Hitler, Vincent van Gogh, and Marilyn Monroe to wreak havoc. Meanwhile, an amnesiac who rows into Doomsday Harbor finds himself recognized as the prophet Jesus Christ. Channeling a voice deep within, "JC" (as he prefers to be called) leads his disciples, including Matthew, Mark, Luke, John & Paul (twins), George, and Ringo, to spread the good word. The world is ending; Judgment Day draws closer. Timely miracles and disasters feature fast food, heavy metal, and sex. All events lead to the good versus evil showdown, a televised debate. This second meeting between JC and Satan plays out with great humor as the two face off, spewing insults and name calling with the intensity of enraged siblings. The comical - albeit bleak - scene begs the question who would you choose, given the halo-headed guy in a dress and the horned toad lord of the flies? It's a tough call. But Forgrave portrays human nature with great scope, spotlighting temptation, love, greed, and faith. The eclectic assembly of players works, and the plethora of witty lines fashions a new (yes, satirical) scripture of provocative ideas. Recommended for lapsed Catholics and/or anyone who's ever wondered how good vs. evil would manifest today.