This Atlantic list of 136 Great American Novels of the past 100 years is pretty interesting. Not only for the exclusions but for what was selected:
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2024/03/best-books-american-fiction/67...
This Atlantic list of 136 Great American Novels of the past 100 years is pretty interesting. Not only for the exclusions but for what was selected:
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2024/03/best-books-american-fiction/67...
Thanks to Mental Floss for my #weirdwords selection: Pretzel-Bender:
“Here‘s a multi-purpose bit of slang, according to the 1967 Dictionary of American Slang: Pretzel-bender can mean a peculiar person, a player of the French horn, a wrestler, or a heavy drinker.“
@cbee
A couple of days late for #tuesdaytunes
I haven't been listening to music as much as usual the past week, but I have loved the following:
*Lord Huron's “The Night We Met“
*Big Thief's “Shark Smile“
* War Paint's “Undertow“ (they recently released a video celebrating their 20th anniversary. I've been a fan for 10 years & seeing the video compelled me to listen to my fave songs again)
@tiedyedude
Using example sentences from 12 different dictionaries, Burrows constructs an alphabetical collection of flash stories that are further arranged under specific words (ie Cc: cookery features 1 story; Bb blasphemy features 2 stories etc). There is a playful tone to several of the entries & although I suspect that I won't remember much of the book several months from now, it was a fun experience. I am using this for #yellowspine #52bookclub
Soichi, the creepy kid in Ito's collection, terrorizes his family & makes life a nightmare for his classmates & teachers. This had a bit more of a quirky feeling to it than most Ito, with Soichi being a bit of a modern day Adamms family character as he spits nails at people & frequently threatens to cast curses on those who cross him in anyway, It cracked me up that his relatives from Tokyo kept coming to visit, despite all of the mishaps.
I read this collection yesterday & found many to be relatable & humorous. Awkward life comics along the lines of Sarah Andersen.
Clown In A Cornfield 2 opens a year after the events of the first book with the survivors dealing with loss, life change but also harassment due to a viral conspiracy documentary about the events of the first book. I can't say too much about this one without spoiling book 1, so I will say that I went into this expecting more of the same of book 1 & was pleasantly surprised to find a different take. Def more political, but with the slasher (CONT)
Not the first line, but this line made me chuckle: ... that pretender, that profiteer, that carpetbagging new-money Branson scum.
#firstlinefridays @shybookowl
Not including graphic memoirs (that would be a separate list):
*Matthew Desmond's “Evicted“ IMO required reading for anyone running for public office. And in general I am not someone who typically believes in required reading.
* Ibram Kendi's “Stamped From the Beginning.“ Exhaustively researched account of the history of how racist ideas took shape here. Not an easy read, but an important one.
* Michelle McNamara's “I'll Be Gone In The Dark“ (CONT
My selection for the first #weirdwords the day after Super Tuesday is apple-polish. Defined by Merriam Webster Online as, “to curry favor with (as by flattery).“ See closest matching synonyms: See kiss up to, drool, kowtow, submit, woo, bootlick. I'm also fond of lickspittle as an example, as again where MW uses the following “Of course, the real blame for all this goes to the gutless lickspittles in the U.S. Senate, who, (CONT)
@cbee
A day late for #tuesdaytunes due to being engrossed in my book last night. Here are 4 songs by 4 different artists that I have listened to multiple times since my prior post:
*Sharon Van Etten's “Seventeen“ Ugh, so so good. This one popped up on my playlist two consecutive days & I listened to it all the way through.
*Waxahatchee “Right Back To It“ I've listened to several by this band recently, but this is a def favorite
(CONT)
This is a review of the entire series of Deadly Class. I read volume 1 towards the end of January & was immediately pulled in. Although I read the majority of the 12 volumes in the series in Feb I just read the final 3 in a sitting. Deadly Class begins with Marcus. At the beginning he is living on the streets of San Francisco, The son of immigrant parents who died, he is recruited to King's Dominion, a very dangerous school for assassins. (CONT)
The name Darcy Coates is inescapable to contemporary horror readers. Although there are no big publishing marketing firms behind her, Coates has largely built her reputation through a prolific output & by word of mouth. Quarter to Midnight is my first experience with her work. A collection of linked horror stories, which I love as a format. As for the stories themselves: Coates loves to play with tropes. There are stories about vampires, (CONT)
As I mentioned in my previous post I just saw Dune part 2 & IMO the 2 part adaptations are both masterpieces. Other great adaptations:
*Scorsese's adaptation of Endo's incredibly moving novel “Silence“
*The miniseries adaptation of Atwood's “Alias Grace“ directed by Mary Harron & written by Sarah Polley
*Andy Muschietti's 2 part adaptation of “IT“ (esp. chapter 2)
*Lord of The Rings
*Persepolis which Satrapi herself co-wrote & co-directed
This is hands down one of my most anticipated movies of the year. I saw it last night & boy it did not disappoint at all. It has a different feel from the first one, but I think it is every bit as good. Absolutely fantastic.
Not really sure where to start where my review of this one. There are several elements of this that I loved: a story within, there was one particular twist that is one of my favorite twists in all of Sager's books & the main character. Then there were several elements that I disliked: a twist towards the end that I frankly hated, the main character while often endearing was also frequently annoying. In terms of ranking: second from last place.
As the back cover states, Ruth Stone's poetry is “a fierce mix of feminism, mysticism, wit, and passion.“ I was immediately entranced by Stone's lyrical voice & finished the entire volume this evening. Ruth Stone is like a cross between Gillian Welch & Lucinda Williams with a heaping dose of Marina Tsvetaeva. Absolutely loved this wonderful edition with color photographs at the front. Well done, Copper Canyon.
Ever have a library run that you feel is next level? I had that experience this afternoon. Lord knows I have plenty of books at home, but I started browsing (as opposed to running in & grabbing my holds) & I found so many gems. One of these is the tagged volume, which I have already read half of. This was an experience where I was driving home & was reading poems while stopped at the stoplight. SO GOOD. SO SO GOOD.
Releases in September. It'll be interesting to see what the reception for this one will be like.
I didn't read quite as many books this month as January, but there were some gems nonetheless. Favorites of the month: Kuang's “Yellowface.“ I have read only one other book by Kuang before (The Poppy Wars) & still don't know how I feel about it, however YF was a car wreck in slow motion that I couldn't turn my eyes away from full of both scorn & sympathy & nuanced discussions of digital bookish spaces & their issues. Then there was (CONT)
Wow, I loved this twisty (& twisted) book filled with mysteries that takes place in an apartment building for women residents leading up to the building being moved due to road construction. A master key which disappears drives much of the story. I literally laughed out loud in surprise at the end & it had me rereading the very beginning. What a macabre gem! I am using this for #toldinnonchronologicalorder for #52bookclub
I'm greatly enjoying this dark mystery. A page turner that made me think of other Japanese crime authors, such as Kanae Mintao (the so-called queen of Iyamisu, which “deals with grisly episodes & the dark side of human nature.“).
#weirdwords @cbee
Four selections by four different artists for #tuesdaytunes
First up is Otis Redding's “Pain In My Heart.“ Probably my favorite soul song right now. Then Joan Shelley's “When The Light Is Dying.“ I just came across Shelley a few days ago & was floored. My last two are recent selections by bands that I have loved for many years: Belle & Sebastian's “When The Cynics Stare Back From The Wall“ & Sleater-Kinney's “Say It Like You Mean It“
@tiedyedude
Peyote Trip has found a loophole to exit Hell & he is determined to leave no matter what. I really dug the quirky world building of Hell & the scenes portraying Peyote going on field trips with his colleagues to sign multiple souls at once were great; however, this one completely fell apart for me in the final act. I honestly didn't care about where any of the narratives ended & I think it could have benefitted from some editing. A soft pick.
Ari Thór receives a job offer in a small village in the north of Iceland. He immediately accepts & moves there from Reykjavik. Thór arrives right at the onset of winter, which is a lot more intense than anything he has experienced. At first his duties as a police officer are more along the lines of assisting community members than investigative, as there's no real crime to speak of. This changes after the suspicious death of a renown (CONT)
Morgan's father, Owen, is cleared of wrongful death of her mother on retrial due to lack of evidence & released from prison towards the beginning of the Covid pandemic. Looking for a new start Morgan & Owen move into the legendary Folly as caretakers. Amor is great at evoking atmosphere with just a few sentences; I really got a sense of the isolation of where they were quickly & also the new dynamic between Owen & Morgan. I do feel like (CONT)
I have a few books going right now but Sign Here not only has the best named protagonist (Peyote Trip) but my favorite opening line(s):
You already have a lot of ideas about Hell. It's amazing what Dante and thousands of years of folklore can do to a place's reputation. I mean, I'm not going to lie to you: it is Hell. It's not fantastic. But let's see if this is relatable....
#firstlinefridays
@shybookowl
My selection for #weirdwords is Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia AKA The Fear of Long Words.
@cbee
1) 2015. Prior to that I had moved quite a bit. Not a fan.
2) The tagged book, O'Briens Country Girls trilogy, Oyamada's The Hole, Howl's Moving Castle.
#two4tuesday @thespineview
As I have a busy day tomorrow, I am creating my #tuesdaytunes post now. A lot of cover love right now, with Cash's version of The Beatles “In My Life“ being a perennial favorite. This is on American IV, the same album as the iconic version as “Hurt“ & I think it deserves as much attention; it is more understated but the emotions are there nonetheless & it is a fantastic cover. Secondly, is Meg Myers' cover “Running Up That Hill.“ (CONT)
An update on vol 2 via the New Yorker site from Ferris. Looks like it will be released the end of May!
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/diary-of-an-abomination
As someone who loves musicals, I loved this #tlt In no particular order my 3 favorites are:
*Rent
*Hamilton
*Phantom of the Opera
Honorable mentions: Les Mis, Once, Book of Mormon, Sweeney Todd. If you are a fan of musicals & horror, I highly recommend the musical themed episode of Books In the Freezer podcast (11-6-23). So much fun! 🎶🔪
@dabbe
My selection for this week's #weirdwords is courtesy of the tagged book: Pareidolia. From Merriam Webster definition, “If you‘ve ever spotted an image of a dog or a shoe in the clouds, you‘ve exhibited what is called pareidolia, the tendency to perceive a meaningful image in a random pattern.“ While reading various definitions I was reminded of the Jesus face on a piece of toast story from a few years ago.
@cbee
1) I am working most of the day, but will be leaving a bit early, It is my brother's 40th bday, so we are going out to eat where we will probably be 2 of 10 patrons as most of KC will be downtown for the super bowl parade.
2) Tagged! If it's good enough for Kate Bush, what's to complain about?! (j/k WH is def not a romance, but I LOVE it)
@thespineview #two4tuesday
One of my fave albums that I have discovered in the past few months is Stevens' “Illinoise“ & one of the tracks that jumped out even during the initial listen was “John Wayne Gacy Jr“ This popped up on a spotify play list earlier today. Other favorites: “We Gathered In Spring“ (Midlake) “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye“ (Betty Swann) “The Dark End Of The Street“ (James Carr)
Link to “John Wayne Gacy Jr“:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWpvMm27WIM
THE best horror novel I have read so far this year. I think that it is worth going into this one as blind as possible. It is a humorous, self-aware take on haunted house narratives & the tropes that go along with them. I loved it.
Also..go Chiefs!
Posting my #weekinbooks just a bit early simply because I have read SO MANY great books this week & I don't want my list to be too unwieldy. Favorites since my previous post: Kuang's “Yellowfaace“ (a smart, nuanced examination of publishing & bookish spaces that are often lacking in nuanced discussion), Great Bookish Quotes (I posted a review of this & plan on buying a copy to help support ALA & because I def intend on rereading) & def not (CONT)
This one is very much a mixed bag for me. I initially thought highly of the title story, but I just recalled that it has much in common with Edith Wharton's excellent story “Afterward.“ I think that this is the issue that I had with the collection. Barb plays with tropes a lot, but doesn't do much that is interesting, or new with them. There are two meta stories in the (CONT)
This was one of my favorite books of '22. Apple has had a fairly good record recently with adaptations, so I'm hopeful with their upcoming adaptation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFT-b8eKdSo
I have several books going right now, but out of all of them the one with the best first line is the tagged book:
“The night I watch Athena Liu die, we're celebrating her TV deal with Netflix.“
#firstlinefridays @shybookowl
“The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.“-Albert Einstein
“The public library is where place & possibility meet.“-Stuart Dybek
I stumbled across this book while browsing at my library after a meeting. This is a collection of 200+ quotes on the importance of reading & libraries, edited by the ALA & proceeds go towards the ALA. There are a few quotes that I am familiar with & hold dear to my heart (CONT)
*Hercule Poirot
*Cassie Maddox (Books 1 & 2 of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad)
*Sherlock Holmes
Hon. Mentions: Continental Op. (Dashiel Hammett)/ Kinsey Millhone (Sue Grafton)/ IQ (Joe Ide) & by far the oldest detective duo on here is Oedipus & his sidekick Tiresias. from the almost 2500 year old, but still riveting, story of Oedipus Rex.
#TLT @dabbe
The theme for the winter reading challenge at my library this year is Literary Love. I had great fun doing the humor challenge last year & plan on completing the challenge this yr. Although you can technically complete it by reading any 5 books in 2 months, where's the fun in that? I'm not really a fan of love stories, but I do LOVE anti-love & jaded love stories. So I plan on reading 5 books that are anti-romances. First up is this one( CONT)
*Monolith (T-Rex)/ Rebel Rebel (David Bowie)/ Under Pressure (Queen)/ Bad Reputation (Joan Jett)/ Sabotage (Beastie Boys)/ Fly Trapped In A Jar (Modest Mouse)/ Shake It Out (Florence & The Machine)/Uptown Again (Afghan Whigs)*Dance Anthem Of the 80s (Regina Spektor)
* Minneapolis in the summer, the UK the rest of the year
*Books!
@eggs #wondrouswednesday
*
Never thought I'd be rockin' out to Iron Maiden, but the brilliance of this series had me google some lyrics in a panel & here we are!
I have yet to read Moon of the Crusted Snow (although I plan to), but I know it is a much loved book here. I just heard on a podcast that a sequel is being released later this month.
1) Work. Read. Work. Read. Work .Read...then 4 day weekend.
2) MS Office Calendar & Post-it notes
3) The physical location is Washington DC, but much of it takes place in various bookish online spaces,
#motivationalmonday @cupcake12
This has been my slowest reading week so far this year, in terms of quantity, but I still read some gems. Favorites are from a current read: Yusef Komunyakaa's poems from “Everyday Mojo“ & a handful of pieces I read in Gaiman's “Fragile Things“ (notably “Feeders & Eaters,“ “Monarch of the Glen“ & “How to Talk to Girls at Parties“)
#weekinbooks
I have had an itch for an occult detective story lately. Book 2 in the Dresden Files finds Harry investigating a series of gruesome murders that are committed around a full moon. With some great action set pieces, witty banter & werewolf mythology this was largely a satisfying read. The juvenile reoccurring male gaze comments were grating; a defect that I have heard Butcher improves upon as the series progresses.