Lolita...light of my life...fire of my loins...my sin...my soul

Amazing!  Found on The Millions' tumblr:

Adam Johnson of The Orphan Master's Son on Kim Jong-il

When the news broke that North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-il had passed away, my first thought was:  what does Adam Johnson think about this?


Fortunately, Publisher's Weekly had the same thought.  

Missing something?

I'm about 1/3 of the way through 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, which weighs in at a whopping 925 pages (so good so far!!).  Now, I'm a frequent NYPL book borrower, and it's not uncommon from time to time to a errant bookmark accidentally left behind.  But I've never found quite so many items or quite the variety of item in a library book before.  Every 50 pages or so, I've found something random or unexpected.  So far, I've found:

• a pressed yellow leaf
• part of someone's bank statement (complete with account number...which I promptly shredded...you're welcome).
• a heart shaped pink sticky note
• 1/4 sheet of scrap paper with a meeting agenda on the back
• a receipt from the Central Park Zoo with a grocery list on the back

What's the strangest/coolest/most random thing you've ever found in a library book?

Late to the Party...

My daily email blast from Publisher's Weekly today highlighted some of the most popular book-related memes of 2011.  I'm sure many of you are familiar with the abundance of Ryan Gosling related tumblrs out there. Perhaps I'm behind on my non-Gosling related literary humor, but this made me chuckle so I had to share.  It appealed to my inner book snob ;)


Ladies and gentlemen: Judgmental Bookseller Ostrich


A few of my personal favorites:

Review: The Uninnocent by Bradford Morrow

title:  The Uninnocent

author: Bradford Morrow

genre: short stories

pages: 272

source:  I received an advanced reader's copy 

via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have a confession:  I didn't exactly finish this story collection.  Usually, I have a policy of not reviewing things I haven't finished.  But since it was my fault I didn't get finished (I completely forgot that my ebook would expire after 2 months!!) and since this was a strong collection of short stories, I'll talk about the ones I did read.

Strong start:  The Hoarder

The story's main character is obsessed with collecting things, but his penchant for acquisition takes a dark turn when he sets his sights on his brother's girlfriend. Quiet and deliberate, this story moves with a dull weight.

My favorite: The Uninnocent

This one stuck with me.  Two children, in desperate need of a good psychologist, "deal" with the death of their brother by looking for messages sent by him from beyond, and carry out what they interpret as his instructions with disturbing results.  Poor Butter.

Fell flat: Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace didn't work for me.  It just seemed a bit too easy in terms of the choices Morrow made.  Man loses sight.  Man becomes a motivational speaker. Man miraculously regains sight only to learn he may have been better off left in the dark about what his family had been up to behind his back (pun absolutely intended).  Overly reliant on religious crutches, at times cliche...I felt like I always knew exactly what was going to happen next. This story is actually why I didn't finish the book. Morrow is so touted as a master of American noir, and when I read this genre, I prefer mine to be a balance of the quiet/familiar with the disturbing/unexpected. 

Rubric rating:  6.  I definitely want to finish this collection.  

Sidebar:  I have been finding lately that the bulk of the content of my reviews has been coming to me while I'm in the shower.  Apparently, I do my best reflection on my reading mid-lather.  The trouble is, by the time I get out, I can't remember some of the strongest points I wanted to make.  Now, I've tried keeping a pen and some paper on the sink next to the shower, but that just results in wet, runny paper...so I was thinking:  what if I installed a small white board in my shower?  Like, in a place where the water won't hit it directly?  So, I can at least get my thoughts down before I lose them? Super practical? Or is that REALLY weird?  Thoughts?

Rapid Fire Reviews!!!!!

title:  In Red

author: Magdalena Tulli

pages: 158

genre: literary fiction

published: November 2011

source:  New York Public Library

Translated from Polish by Bill Johnson, the main character in Tulli's In Red is the fictional town of Stitchings.  Part portrait, part magical realism, Tulli creates a town from which there may be no escape, chronicling the life and death of an ensemble of the town's figureheads.  Chaotic, claustrophobic, and intensely lyrical, Tulli's strength lies in her insane command of language to create the mood and atmosphere of the piece.  

Rubric rating: 7

title:  There But For The

author: Ali Smith

pages: 236

genre: literary fiction

published: September 2011

source:  New York Public Library

One evening, Miles Garth attends a dinner party at the home of Genevieve Lee, and between the main course and dessert, leaves the table, walks upstairs and locks himself in the Lee's spare bedroom.  And refuses to leave.  For about a year.

Smith tells the story from the perspective of four individuals with varying relationships with Miles, and through each, the reader is able to assemble a portrait of the man that is Miles Garth, and Smith's strength lies in her ability to at once create these personal pictures of each character while at the same time examining the themes of separation and connection.  

Rubric rating: 7

title:  The Psychopath Test

author: Jon Ronson

pages: 288

genre: nonfiction-psychology

published:  2011

source:  New York Public Library

Note to the single ladies:  I happened to have this book with me one Friday night as I waited to meet a friend at a bar, and three different men approached me to flirt/ask about the book.  Apparently, this book is a man magnet.  Unanticipated bonus ;)

While investigating the origins of mysterious packages sent to neurologists around the world, Ronson becomes fascinated with the DSM-V and the characteristics of psychopaths.  He wonders:  could some of the most successful and powerful individuals be, in essence, psychopaths?

I really enjoy Ronson's narrative style.  I felt like I was with him in his head as he discovered new information and revised his thinking, which is something readers don't usually get to experience in nonfiction.  Hilarious, thought-provoking, disturbing and insightful, The Psychopath Test is not to be missed!

Rubric rating: 8

Coming Soon...

Oh man.  It has been a while...


So many things have kept me from posting :(


1.  ALL of my holds from the library came in at the same time.
No matter where I was on the holds list, Murphy's Law, everything comes in at once.  Leaving me a bit backlogged.  My To Read pile is a bit out of control...

2.  I have massive book ADD.

In EVERY OTHER ASPECT of my life, I'm able to start a task and complete it.  But my raccoon-esque book ADD has been out of control this past month.   And library due dates only enable me.  When I get an email from the NYPL that a book will soon be due, and I haven't started it yet, if it can't be renewed, I end up doing some strategic restructuring of my reading schedule (I'm looking at you, Alice LaPlante's Turn of Mind), leaving me with several half-finished books next to my bed.

3.  I'm single.  And trying not to be.

Dating in NY, especially dating online in NY, is like having a second full time job.  And unfortunately, my social calendar has, for the most part, been adversely affecting my reading. Although, one thing I did learn this month:  men dig a chick reading books about psychopaths.  One night, I had a copy of Jon Ronson's The Psychopath Test with me (train reading) as I waited for a friend at the bar, and three separate men approached me and used the book to flirt with me.  Duly noted...

4.  My freelance photography business is growing!

I've had several gigs, so a ton of photoediting to do.  No complaints here though!  Check out the tumblr if you so desire :)

So, in the next few days, look out for reviews of:

Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife

Graham Greene's The End of the Affair

Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers

Jon Ronson's The Psychopath Test

Bradford Morrow's The Uninnocent

I promise to never leave you alone for that long again!