Wants to read Lovecraft Country
book
Finished reading Children of Time
Finished reading Children of Memory
Finished reading Eyes of the Void
Wants to read Love and Fatigue in America
Finished reading Alien Clay
Rated Marine Park: Stories by Chiusano Mark (2014-07-29) Paperback 8/10
This collection of short stories about a less popular section of Brooklyn came my way through a Penguin marketing email looking for book reviewers who might be interested. I neglected to do a proper review (my “being behind on reviews” tales of woe are best saved for another time), but I still enjoyed this book. Let it be known to the marketing people within publishing houses that those emails do their job because I’d never heard of Chiusano before that day, and I’m not sure if I would have noticed the book otherwise.<br><br>(This mini-review appears at <a href="http://persephonemagazine.com/2015/05/the-delight-in-reading-lists-and-challenges-20-suggestions/%22">Persephone Magazine</a>.)
Rated McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales 4/10
Major highlights for me were Michael Chabon and Adam Levin's contributions, as well as the play from Wajahat Ali. Colm Tóibín's short story "The Street" was absolutely fantastic, and the fortune cookie scroll was amusing. However, I hated <i>Jungle Geronimo</i> and <i>Bicycle Built For Two</i> wasn't much better. An imperfect, but still good collection in a great package.<br><br>My full and more detailed review can be found on <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2011/06/mcsweeneys-36-including-work-by-michael.html">Glorified Love Letters</a>.
Edited 34d ago
Rated Drowned Country 10/10
Edited 24d ago
Wants to read The Rosewater Insurrection
Wants to read Making Dough: Recipes and Ratios for Perfect Pastries
Finished reading Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
Rated Lucky Peach: Issue 1 8/10
<i>Lucky Peach</i> represents what can be great about the magazine industry. Founded by Momofuku chef David Chang, the publication brings together his passion for innovation and his loyalty to doing singular, often simple, things well. Issue #1 is ad-free and dedicated almost entirely to one subject — ramen. The good stuff, the real stuff, straight out of Japanese back alleys and from old-school noodle masters. Perhaps only through McSweeney's could this sort of indulgence be encouraged on a large scale. As someone who publishes a magazine composed largely of my own whims, I love what they've done.<br><br>It is a really solid, interesting collection of food talk, and I'm considering getting a subscription. As a quarterly publication, I'm curious to see what other themes Chang and company take on, and I'm always wanting to read more from Anthony Bourdain. And though I'm not so naïve as to expect less pork products in future issues, I look forward to seeing what other dishes they feature that I may want to try on my own. It's a different sort of food porn, this magazine, and it's both aspirational and reassuring. "Look, we may be working professionals," it seems to say, "but everyone — <i>everyone</i> — can always do better."<br><br>(The full review can be seen on <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2011/09/lucky-peach-issue-1-ramen-summer-2011.html">Glorified Love Letters</a>.)
Finished reading The Two Towers
Finished reading Owlish
Finished reading Digging Stars
<div>It took me a minute to acclimate to the language of the 1790s, but what a book! It's too bad that it's unfinished. Ahead of its time, smart, and were it a miniseries, you know you'd be there for every installment.</div>
Rated Men, Women, and Children 6/10
I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call <i>Men, Women and Children</i> beautiful, but I do recognize the intricate dance Kultgen has created. Each story element cycles into the other, and there is certainly no ambiguity, but I find it hard to say whether or not I enjoyed the book. It was compelling, thought-provoking and well-written, but "enjoy" is not the right verb. That doesn't mean it isn't worth reading. It is a modern cautionary tale mixed with voyeurism, and it is not without humor, but I can't say I felt <i>good</i> after reading it.<br><br>(My review can be found on <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2012/07/men-women-and-children-by-chad-kultgen.html">Glorified Love Letters</a>.)
Finished reading Rogue Protocol
Finished reading Annihilation
Rated May God Forgive 10/10
<div>This is probably my favorite noir series, so 5 stars is overcooking things a smidge, but I don't care. Compelling characters, a plot you're not figuring out right away, and a real sense of place.</div>
Reviewed Finite and Infinite Games
<a href="https://smus.com/books/finite-and-infinite-games-by-james-carse">Full review on smus.com</a>