Category Archives: Reading

20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill (finished) Inheritors of the Earth: How Nature Is Thriving in an Age of Extinction by Chris D. Thomas (finished) Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith (finished) Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield … Continue reading →

I was partly serious in my conversation with myself yesterday. I do have a book problem. It was bad before Christmas, and it’s gotten worse since. I received several books for Christmas (some of which I asked for, and all … Continue reading →

We have to talk about our book problem. OK. I’m listening. We have too many books. Define too many. More books than fit on the shelves. By that definition, I concede we may have one or two more than is … Continue reading →

Notes from a Public Typewriter edited by Michael Gustafson and Oliver Uberti Grade: A- The owners of Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan left out a typewriter as an experiment, to see if people would use it. And people did. … Continue reading →

The Magicians by Lev Grossman Grade: A At the beginning of The Magicians, teenager Quentin Coldwater, a brilliant high-achiever, was en route to an alumni interview for Princeton. But, even as he approached this milestone of accomplishment, he felt dissatisfied. … Continue reading →

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller Grade: A Helen Keller’s The Story of My Life was my 16th book of the year and much to be admired for both its content and its brevity. Keller’s authorial voice was … Continue reading →

I Is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way We See the World by James Geary Grade: A- I got off to a rocky start with this book. I think of metaphor as a … Continue reading →

Currently reading: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl: a Gothic fantasy set in the American South. I decided to read this book after watching (and enjoying) the movie that was based on it. The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs: … Continue reading →