Archives for March 2012

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My books of the week are two excellent books of poetry I read at totally different speeds.

One, the “A Sense of Place: Collected Maine Poems” anthology I flew through last night. Wonderful poems set in different places all throughout Maine. Excellent stuff from many of Maine’s best poets. This book also has the marvelous quality of being an overloved library book that is falling apart, which makes it feel even more precious. Highly Recommended. ***1/2 (4 GR) (Minerva/Belfast Free Library)

The other a much harder and slower but I think more rewarding read, “Who You Are” by Nancy Henry. This I have been reading a few poems at a time, and while reading it today realizing how powerful it is. This is a book about working with those society has tossed aside: Prisoners, Sex Offenders, Learning Disabled… Powerful, powerful stuff. I feel like should include a poem or two from both, but don’t want to offend any copyrights. Amazing and heartbreaking book. **** (5 GR) (Minerva/Central Maine CC) On page 67 of 82, should finish tonight.

One of the poems I loved in “Who You Are” was featured by Garrison Keillor on the Writer’s Almanac .. It’s called “People Who Take Care”.

Other books finished this week:

“Sons of Liberty” by Marshall Poe … well done YA/Juvenile graphic novel about pre-revolutionary Boston. (Minerva) **1/2 (Minerva)

“Berlin: City of Stones” by Jason Lutes .. A book I really wanted to like more then I did. I think there were far too many characters and found it muddled the story. That said I will read the sequel at some point. Ambitious book about Weimar Republic Berlin, wish I liked it more. **1/2 (3 GR) (Minerva)

“The Acme Novelty Library” by Chris Ware … I wrote a whole blogpost about Chris Ware on March 7th. This book has a ton of comics in it, and lots of weird text and fake ads. Almost too much, hard to read some of the tiny text, and the book is oddly oversized. Definitely captures the hopelessness of Ware’s work. My favorite is still #20. ***1/2 (4 GR) (Minerva)

Also reading:

“Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain … Very interesting piece about what introverts are good at. Very interested in the topic, somewhat slow going like I find a lot of non-fiction. On page 114 of 276 (Minerva/Gray PL) ***1/2 (4 GR)

“Wool 3” by Hugh Howey .. started reading this again today … excellent science fiction 44% (Kindle) .. Convinced by wife to get the Wool Omnibus. “Wool” is one of my great discoveries of the year, made a blogpost about it earlier in the year.

“You’re Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop to a Coffee Shop: Scalzi on Writing” by John Scalzi … cool and rich blogposts from Scalzi’s blog http://whatever.scalzi.com/ about writing and being a working, successful writer. Wonderful wit and honesty. There is nothing wrong with doing commercial writing for companies, for one it pays well. ***1/2 (4 GR) 32% (Kindle)

“Big Sex Little Death: A Memoir” by Susie Bright. I have read some of Ms. Bright’s sex columns before, great find for free on Kindle store. Looks like fascinating stuff so far. 4% on Kindle far too early to judge.

“Half Way Home” by Hugh Howey … I am 64% of the way through and finding it to bog down a little in the middle. Right now *** but could change. First third is awesome.

“Hot Water Music” by Charles Bukowski … I love Bukowski, I really do. But his stuff does get similar, often his short stories are 2 losers who meet then hook up. 75% Kindle ***1/2 (4 GR)

“All the Young Warriors” by Anthony Neil Smith .. Very heavy crime fiction, that is both set in the frozen tundra of the Minnesota winter and the heat and insanity of Somalia. Almost too heavy for my taste, great peril *** (3 GR) 26% on Kindle

“Taking the Field: A Fan’s Quest to Run the Team He Loves” by Howard Megdal … As a Phillies fan, I kind of love to see the Mets collapse, but a passionate story of the heartbreak of being a Mets fan. I like this, if I was a Mets fan might love it. *** (3 GR) by 24% on Kindle

Checked out this week:

Thor 1 and 2 by Straczynski and Coipel … Graphic novels of Thor a Marvel character I haven’t read much of (Walker Library)

“A Sense of Place”

“Sons of Liberty 1” by the Lagos Brothers .. Loved part 2 that was at Walker Library, thought I should catch up.

So definitely a full list of stuff I read this week. I definitely read diverse things. These always end up being my biggest blogposts of the week by a mile.