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TWO BOOKS: Taste + The Storyteller

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The end of 2022 is fast approaching, and I’m happy to report that I should achieve my goal of reading about a book per month. I’m about to finish my twelfth book of 2022. Will I be able to make it a baker’s dozen (13)? I’m pretty sure I can squeeze in another book before December ends. I’ve also read about five or six comics/graphic novels this year, so far.

Last year (2021), I waited until the end of the year to post a short write up featuring the ten or so books I had read. I plan to go back over all of the books, but I first wanted to go into the last two books I just finished, since they have both had a big impact on me.

These two books:
(1) Stanley Tucci’s Taste: My Life Through Food, and
(2) Dave Grohl’s The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music. 

Both are collections of stories, essays, and life lessons revolving around one central theme — Music for Dave and Food for Stanley. There are many similarities and differences between both books, but what ties them together is how they have both sparked my creativity in different ways — food and music.

TASTE – Stanley Tucci

As a kid, I was an extremely picky eater. I didn’t even like hamburgers. I thought of them as a meatloaf sandwich — but maybe my dad was just over-grilling and drying his burgers out.

It wasn’t until I watched the movie Good Burger in theaters, that I asked my mom if I could eat a burger immediately after the movie. She took me to Burger King and that’s when I added burgers to my basic list of food demands: hot dog, chicken nuggets, pizza, and now burgers.

It wasn’t until college where I began trying different types of food. This led to me trying new recipes in the kitchen. My early college diet was basically made up of simple pastas, fast food takeout, and frozen treats. Once I began cooking for myself and trying new things, I wanted to learn how everything was made. I went from, How do I make this myself to How do I make it better?

After college I continued to cook, learning and creating new recipes. I have always enjoyed creating delicious feasts that bring people together. Pre-pandemic I even held a few food parties where friends would send a set amount of money (via Venmo), so I could go out and purchase ingredients for a great big meal. It was a fun idea and made me feel like a contestant on a show like Iron Chef or Chopped.

The pandemic sort of slowed my creativity in the kitchen. I continued to cook for my girlfriend and myself, but it was mostly creating the same types of meals over and over again. I was still enjoying cooking, but not as much as before.

What makes Taste a unique read is that it doesn’t only include stories from Tucci’s life, it also features food and cocktail recipes sprinkled throughout. I’ve already made most of the cocktail recipes in the book (including countless martinis and old-fashioneds). Even though I love my cookbooks with photos, having a full story about a recipe is also enticing.

I’ve always been a fan of Stanley’s on screen work. There’s something calming about seeing him pop up in a movie. Even in The Hunger Games as Caesar Flickerman with that silly hairdo — still very calming. We just watched the new series Inside Man on Netflix this past week, where he portrays a man on death row for the murder of his wife. His performance still puts me at ease.

Stanley just seems like such a charming and sweet fellow. I would love to share a meal with him one day. Actually, I would love to cook an authentic Italian meal with Stanley Tucci.

THE STORYTELLER – Dave Grohl

In Dave’s book he’s mostly focused on music, although he does dive into some food stories — including Champagne and Fried Chicken, a Foo Fighters backstage staple. 

Dave Grohl is one of the most talented musicians of our time. Think about it, he was the drummer for one of the biggest bands and when tragedy hit he didn’t just become some other band’s drummer. He created the first Foo Fighters album on his own, before becoming the frontman and guitarist for one of the greatest (*my opinion) and the biggest bands in the world.

Dave has dealt with a lot of loss in his life. First, with the tragic death of Kurt Cobain, while Nirvana was huge. Later on, he lost his best friend since childhood, Jimmy. And the latest, which is not featured in the book because it just happened this year, Taylor Hawkins (best friend, musical brother, and Foo Fighters drummer).

I’ve read many biographies and memoirs by musicians in the past, but this is by far one of the best written ones. I compared the structure of Dave’s chapters to what a narrative piece in improv should be. He begins with a tidbit to give you a taste of the main story or point. Next, he jumps around into a few other short anecdotes — related ones. Finally, he takes you back to that beginning story for the payoff. By the time you reach the end of the chapter, you think, Damn, I totally forgot about that whole story.

What made Dave’s book so important to me was how music was the great commonality between all of these stories from his life. Even though I have always loved figuring out how recipes are made when it comes to food, for some reason I never felt that way when I picked up the guitar back in college (during my “Quarter Life Crisis”). Instead of learning how a song is made or why it works, I would just learn simple riffs and solos from different songs I enjoyed.

The Storyteller has inspired me to go back and actually learn how the guitar works. When visiting my friend in Minnesota a few weeks ago, I was reading Dave’s book and I came across a guitar book in my friend’s collection, VAIdeology. Once I returned home, I picked up this book by the great guitar god, Steve Vai. I even got to see him live a few weeks ago. I’m still on “Lesson One”: becoming familiar with all of the notes on the fretboard.

Since I wasn’t picking up the notes quick enough, I also added piano lessons at the same time. Since we have my girlfriend’s nice keyboard on display, I figured that could help my musical explorations.

Dave’s book made me realize how I missed playing guitar. There were also many stories of jamming and playing with other musicians. Some of my best music memories have always been playing with others.

*Side Quest:
I always remember a cold day in college, when my friend Scotty
(who sort of unintentionally introduced me to the guitar) brought
his guitar and amp over and we played together on the balcony.
There was another time, back when I had a drum set, where he
came over and we jammed with my fog machine. I also remember,
early on, trying to learn different parts of Metallica songs with my
friend Nick on guitar.

My current goal is to understand both the guitar and piano. This is all so that one day I could meet up with Dave Grohl for a jam session, which will take place after cooking with Stanley Tucci, for the perfect day.

The Books

I could have featured both of these books in separate posts, but as I read the second book (Dave’s The Storyteller) I started to notice many similarities. The main one being the way they made me feel a new creative spark towards two of my passions — food and music.

Both books are extremely well-written, in very different ways. It may also help that I had previously read a very poorly written book full of errors and typos. I’ve seen typos in books, but these were so bad and so many that it actually took me out of the story, in almost every chapter.

The common theme from Taste and The Storyteller, is how there are certain subjects that bring people together. Food, music, even books, and so many others. 

I was also inspired by both authors to explore the past. I would stop myself to write down bands to check out, movies or shows to watch, and search for old, simple Italian recipes.

Stanley and Dave have both had very successful careers, in film and music, respectively. Both have also seen a great deal of tragedy and loss, but have found ways to cope and overcome those moments. I didn’t do a deep dive into the stories and subject matter from the books, because I’m hoping you will go out and read them yourself. Or, if you’re more of a food lover or music fan, you can choose the one that suits you.

Books Read in 2021 + Book Goals for 2022

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In 2021, I read a total of 10.3333 books and one comic book. Here’s a quick list:

Book #1 : Sweat the Technique by Rakim

I first started off listening to the audio version, read by Rakim himself — since it was available on Apple Music. It was cool to hear him not only tell his story, but also read his lyrics since most chapters featured or started with some classic Rakim lyrics.

Book #2 : Ms. Marvel: Super Famous by G. Willow Wilson

This Ms. Marvel run started back in 2014. After reading the first trade issue I wanted to continue the story. I’m now up to volume 5, but I have two more volumes in my personal library. After that I will have to search for more.

Book #3 : CHILLING EFFECT by Valerie Valdes

This is the first sci-fi book I’ve read with a Hispanic protagonist. Val (the author) did a great job incorporating many of the phrases I grew up hearing in a Cuban household — there’s also a bunch of space cats, if you’re into that.

Book #4 : Press Reset by Jason Schreier

I read Jason’s first book, Blood Sweat and Pixels, where each chapter covered the development of a single video game. In Press Reset, each chapter follows different individuals and/or studios. It was cool to hear these stories from a different perspective.

You can catch my full write up on Press Reset here.

Book #5 : Yearbook by Seth Rogen

I’ve read many celebrity memoirs, and the cool thing about Seth Rogen is that he doesn’t mind sharing the stories that most celebrities won’t. It’s like he knows how strange the celebrity world is, and he feels the need to share it with us common folk.

Book #6 : Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

If you liked Ready Player One (the book or movie), you may or may not like the sequel. I thought it was fine, but my friend who also loved Ready Player One absolutely hated this book.

Ready Player Two was different enough from its predecessor to keep me entertained, although it did rely heavily on the reader’s nostalgia for things of the past, like in the first book.

Book #7 : NBA Jam by Reyan Ali

This book was published by Boss Fight Books which has a very interesting collection of books based on different games. Every book in the Boss Fight Books library focuses on a specific game in a totally different way. There is no formula to a Boss Fight Book, it’s basically whatever the game means to that particular author is what the book is about.

You can catch my previous write up of NBA Jam here.

Book #8 : Ask Iwata by Satoru Iwata (Edited by Hobonichi)

Ask Iwata is a collection of essays, posts and more from Nintendo Legend, Saturo Iwata. Even if you aren’t into video games, this is still a very good book to read. It focuses more on his business philosophies, which can be used in many industries today.

You can find my previous review here.

Book #9 : DUNE by Frank Herbert

My original goal was to read the entirety of DUNE before watching the new film on HBO MAX. I only made it through the first third before the movie was released.

I plan to continue reading DUNE (the book). After watching DUNE (the film), I think the characters, houses and locations will all be easier to digest.

Book #10 : Dream Master by Raheem “Mega Ran” Jarbo

Mega Ran has a very interesting story about how he mixed two of his dreams together to create something cool and new — hip hop and video games. He’s also been through a lot on his way to becoming who he is today.

Check out my previous write up here.

Book #11 : Coraline by Neil Gaiman

A few years ago I started reading books by Neil Gaiman. I read The Graveyard Book, Good Omens, The Ocean at the End of the Lake and possibly some others.

Although I have already seen the movie Coraline I thought I could read the book and re-watch the movie. Plus, it was short and I was able to sneak it in at the end of the year.

Book #12 : The Creative Gene by Hideo Kojima

This was the final book I read in 2021. Hideo Kojima is responsible for the Metal Gear series of games, he’s also one of the biggest names in video games. The Creative Gene is an homage to many of Kojima’s influences — books, movies, shows, music and more.

You can catch my full write up here.

So, I say 10.3333 books because I only read the first part of three in DUNE. I was trying to read the whole book before the movie came to HBO MAX, but I started too late. So, instead I read part one and put it down, which is fine because the movie doesn’t go very far past the first part.

I know I also read a few other comics, I’m just not sure if I finished them. I re-read part of The Vision, Hawkeye and read a bit of Iron Man 2020 and some others. I just haven’t finished them.

A total of 10-12 books is not a terrible number for a full year, especially when we take into account the whole virus thing. My goal for 2022 is not to double or triple the amount of books read. I have two goals for 2022 when it comes to reading.

What’s Next?

Goal #1: Read more than last year.

This can mean reading ten or even twenty more books than last year, or it can mean just one or two more books. I don’t want to put a specific number goal down because I will never meet it. Instead I will reach the halfway mark of 2022, and become instantly overwhelmed when I realize how many books I haven’t read.

I’m almost done with my first book of 2022, so I estimate at this pace that I can maybe read about twenty books, but if I don’t that’s fine too. I know from the past that I can read three books in a row very quickly, followed by a couple of weeks or months of zero reading.

Goal #2: Read more books than I buy.

I love visiting Barnes & Noble and bookstores in general. Many times I end up buying some kind of book when I visit — usually a few books. I have tons of unread books in my collection, all over the place. I always have a small collection of books that are “on deck” to be read next.

Every time I finish a book, I pull out about five to ten books and decide what to read next. I’m usually searching for something that’s pretty different from whatever I just finished. If you look at the order that I read my 2021 books, you might notice that I try to change subjects, genres, or something about whatever I happen to read next.

Like with my credit card payments, my goal this year is to read (pay) more than I buy (spend) each month. I would like to slowly narrow down my current unread collection. There’s also the problem that many times I have my next book selected in my head, only to push it aside when I purchase something new I become more interested in.

No matter what happens, I will spend more time reading, writing and working on more creative projects in 2022.

Searching for Creativity

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I’ve always been interested in the creative process of others. I love getting a behind the scenes look and hearing stories of how people make the things that I love. Movies, music, games, food, writing, art. Everything made by humans is powered by creativity.

It has always bothered me to hear anyone say, “I’m not creative,” about themselves. You are creative! Every human has the capacity to be creative in some way. The keyword is CREATE!

Make a work of art, write an essay, make some dinner, draw a little doodle, come up with a home workout, sing in the shower, do something small in your boring job. These are all creative things we do. Most of us exhibit some form of creativity each and every day. And many of us don’t even notice it.

I’ve read many books on creativity. My favorites are the ones written by the creators themselves. It’s not as interesting to read a book on creativity written by some science doctor who’s just studying other people’s work. I want to hear it from the source.

I want a first-hand account of how the thing I love got made. I like to hear about the process. I enjoy watching the special features on my DVD and Blu-Rays. I’ve read books on creativity by musicians, comedians, actors and actresses, writers, even doctors and lawyers. I like to look for differences and similarities between different industries.

I for one have tried many different approaches to unleash my creativity over the years: writing in the mornings, drawing at night, taking short breaks mid day, meditation and yoga. Sometimes it’s good to have a schedule worked out, but it’s also helpful to surprise yourself and be spontaneous.

I want to share my thoughts on some of the creative books I’ve read or started reading over recent years:

Creativity
by John Cleese

I recently finished this short book by John Cleese (Monty Python, A Fish Called Wanda). I enjoyed that it was a short biography followed by some creative tips and exercises. There were also some fun stories sprinkled in between. It’s an easy short read so I definitely recommend this book to everyone. Many of the tips and exercises were quick and simple. I even learned a few quick tips that I never really thought about.

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

This was a fun history book about the beginning of Pixar and the troubles they experienced along the way to greatness. Ed Catmull, one of the founders, goes into what makes Pixar such a creative place and the practices in place to keep it this way. Letting people from different departments come in with fresh eyes to look at projects, and always being open about what’s going on in the company are just two reasons that make Pixar a special company. It’s just a great read even to learn a few creative practices that can be used in your own business or life. Also, I am a huge fan of Pixar movies, so there’s that.

Sweat the Technique
by Rakim

I’m currently reading this book. I thought it would just be a good read to learn how one of the greatest lyricists got to where he is, Rakim. I actually have learned a lot from this book. One important thing Rakim has taught me is to learn about everything. Rakim would read and study just to have more ammo for his rhymes. I don’t plan on becoming a rapper, but there are still some aspects of Rakim’s creative process that are helpful in my life. It’s important to not only learn about what you believe in, but also the opposite side of the coin (especially in a world where social media feeds us only exactly what we want to see and hear). It’s important to learn about new subjects, even stuff you don’t think you’ll care about.

Wonderbook
by Jeff Vandermeer

I haven’t read enough of this one to give you enough information about it. I’ve only read a few sections. It was recommended by a writer I know. It’s a large book so I’m slowly reading a little at a time. This one is more focused on writing for fantasy and science fiction, but it’s a good way to learn about world-building, character creation and other aspects of that type of fiction. It also includes excerpts and short sections from many different authors and artists. People with tons of experience in their fields.

Embrace your Weird
by Felicia Day

I read Felicia Day’s first book, “You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)” which was a great read. It was more about her life and creating her web show The Guild. When I met her at Florida Supercon I told her how that book inspired me and she shared some “top secret” info with me. She told me that her new book would be announced in just a few days after meeting her. So, of course I pre-ordered her new book. Embrace your Weird is very different than the other books on this list. It’s more of a workbook. It’s filled with exercises where you get to write all over the pages of the book. Many of the exercises are idea-starters to get you out of your head.

Voice-Over
Voice Actor
by Yuri Lowenthal & Tara Platt

This last book has become very important to me. I first bought it and wanted to read it just because I was interested in Voice Actors and learning more about their lifestyle. I was listening to the “Talkin’ Toons” Podcast with Rob Paulsen and was obsessed with all of the great guests and their stories. While reading this, I was messing around with Voice Over stuff just to practice sustaining characters for longer periods of time (to help with on-stage characters for improv). After reading this book I wanted to do more with Voice-Over work and now I’m currently working on some secret projects. Yuri and Tara are also big names in Voice Acting and have many short anecdotes from their famous Voice Actor friends.


BONUS CONTENT:

I think the main thing I’ve learned from all of these creative books is what Rakim taught me (which I also have read in other books). The best thing you can do is consume content from all over the place. Live your life but do things that make you uncomfortable too. Don’t just stick to things you like or are used to. Don’t write things off because you think you won’t like them.

Ever try listening to people with a different point of view? It may make you angry, but you don’t have to believe them. It’s good to study how other people think, or just to try and figure out why people so crazy sometimes… 

It’s ok to not like things. It’s much better to try something out and make the decision to not like it on your own. Don’t just guess that you won’t like something. Listen to a podcast about gardening or something that sounds totally stupid to you and see what you learn.

READING: Analog vs Digital

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For the past few months I’ve been reading an unreleased book (written by a friend) to help out with a super secret project for the upcoming release of this book. Since this is an unreleased work, it has not yet been printed onto paper and I was sent a top secret PDF. 

So, for the first time ever, I’ve had to read an entire book using only my iPad, and I’m not hating the experience. I’m talking about the experience of reading on an iPad. Not the content of the story. I’m really digging that.

For my entire life, I’ve enjoyed books in their physical form (I did read a few chapters of A Game of Thrones on my iPad just to test it out, since I owned both the digital and physical version). Sure, I read tons of articles on a screen most days. I even read stuff on my tiny iPhone screen (my current iPhone isn’t that tiny, but those older models were kind of tiny to be reading full articles on). I even do the bulk of my writing on digital screens (PC, MacBook, iPad, iPhone).

I’m thinking it may be a good idea to start making the switch to more digital books. For one thing, I have my iPad with me most of the time, and my iPhone with me all of the time (which could also keep track of my reading habits through the mysterious iCloud). It will be much easier to read anywhere without having to take a book around, plus I wouldn’t have books all over my room (but I love books! Books for reading. Books of art. Books of music and poetry. All kinds of books).

I love reading physical books. I enjoy turning pages and although the iPad can digitally simulate that feeling, it’s just not the same. I kind of like, but also sometimes don’t like how iBooks tells me, “you have __ pages left in this chapter,” at the bottom of the screen. When reading a physical book late at night I do find myself counting how many pages are left in the current chapter. But sometimes I don’t need to know (ten or more pages left is always a discouraging number and I am on the verge of quitting reading to play video games instead).

I like using bookmarks (I use movie tickets, business cards and sometimes actual bookmarks). The iPad bookmark is strange and I almost always forget to unmark it when I begin reading again, leaving an iBook with tons of marked pages throughout my journey. 

I don’t want to read my iPad out in the sun and get it all sweaty and full of sunscreen. On a bright day, the screen just can’t get bright enough. Physical books are way safer in the great outdoors.

However, on an iPad reading in the dark is much easier. Perhaps books, like DVD’s and Blu-Ray’s should come with digital copies when you purchase the physical version. It would be nice to freely jump from a physical book for certain occasions to the  digital version at other times. I don’t need an audiobook though, unless it’s in the form of a radio play or there’s something fun going on with the voice over (I have been listening to Rakim read his book Sweat the Technique, since the audio version is available on Apple Music. That’s a fun audio book because he’s reading his lyrics throughout the book).

Perhaps my next project will be to read a physical and digital book at the same time, maybe as a race to determine which is faster for me. And which version of reading will truly win. Otherwise, I will continue to read physical books and digital articles and other stuff too.

*I mentioned iPads, iPhones, MacBooks, Apple Music, iCloud, iBooks and more in this article, but in no way is this a paid ad for Apple. I just happen to be a fan of their products and services.