Books bought in 2010


The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket
Detractors complained about the repetitive nature of the later chapters, but nuts to them. The Carnivorous Carnival is very funny.

The Measure Of A Man by Sidney Poitier
Said to be a funny and honest autobiography.
I have yet to read it.

Back to the Future by Andrew Shail & Robin Stoate
This BFI Film Classics release is an academic and thoroughly serious discussion of my favourite movie of all time, detailing its depiction of youth culture amongst others. I wonder if Zemeckis and Gale ever thought their work of fiction would yield such a deep dissection.

The Swing Of Things by Jan Omdahl
The extremely excellent full account of a-ha's career, with surprisingly honest opinions (the guys aren't too fond of Memorial Beach) and candid photos. Just one downside: the original Norwegian edition included a free CD with unreleased demos. Said freebie is nowhere to be found in the English version.

Operatie Missmaker by Kirsten Mertes
Kirsten Mertes, a young and promising journalist, decided to go undercover. Miss Belgian Beauty, a beauty contest organised by Ignace Crombé, used questionable and dubious methods to "help" its candidates. Mertes came back with a tell-all tale that reads like a pageturner.

Ronald Stoops/Inge Grognard by Ronald Stoops & Inge Grognard
A photo book by two very talented people. They are close friends of my high school's art teacher. In 2003, they had a unique proposal for her: can we borrow your class for a project? Sure enough, a few weeks later, we found ourselves posing for Mr. Stoops. The photo has since been seen in a variety of outlets, including the Flemish Parliament. Not bad at all. As a memento, I bought their book.

Life by Keith Richards
All the stories behind one of the greatest rock bands in history, straight from the source. A promising prospect for sure. I only struggled through the first chapter. Life needs a second chance to be discovered.




Julian De Backer, 8 November 2013