Summer Reads Pt 2

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Here’s another quick list from my recent reading pile.

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh : If you are a fan of the inimitable Shirley Jackson, run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore for a copy of this mesmerizing, disturbing, and hilarious novel.

The Underground Railroad  by Colson Whitehead : Well earned winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, this painful meditation on America’s original sin will break your heart. I’m not kidding; it will bring you to tears over and over again.

Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters : It’s a shame that Winters’ frighteningly realistic alternative history of  the U.S. was totally overshadowed by Whitehead’s masterpiece.  In any other year, it would have found a wider audience. If this book is not quite beach reading for you, check out Winters’ fantastic The Last Policeman trilogy, a pre-apocalyptic detective story.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz : This novel-within-a-novel is a clever mash-up of an Agatha Christie-style whodunit and a modern amateur detective novel.

A Horse Walks into a Bar by David Grossman : I have to admit that I was disappointed in this award-winning short novel. In fact, I found it to be grating and tedious. Just saying.

The Hollow Man ; The House of Fame & Deep Shelter by Oliver Harris : Although I was late to the party on British writer Oliver Harris, I’ve caught up by reading everything available in the States. His main character is brilliant, despicable and completely hilarious. Each novel is an over-the-top roller-coaster ride around contemporary London.

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Summer Reads Pt 1

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

For some reason, I receive requests for reading recommendations from followers of TBTP. It may be because I’m in the book trade, who knows why. Anyway, I thought that I would share a short list of books that I have read recently—or I’m still slogging through. My lazy reading habits include having three or four books “going” simultaneously. Literary tastes are subjective, so I’m including some titles that I found to be meh, or at least disappointing.

Autumn by Ali Smith : A poignant, heartbreaking, but beautiful exploration of the subjective human experience of time and the fragility of relationships. Smith’s latest novel is the first in a four-part series, with each book named for a season.

Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu : This head-spinning, sci-fi epic meditation on humanity, technology, morality, and progress will test your endurance and reading stamina, but the trilogy is well worth the commitment. And for those of us in the West, it’s an eye-opening introduction to contemporary Chinese literature.

October: The Story of the Russian Revolution by China Miéville : This chronicle of one of the pivotal events of the 20th century is educational and entertaining without the usual academic pretensions. And, yes, it’s written by the master of post-modern sci-fi/fantasy China Miéville. If history sounds to dry for summer reading, get lost in his extraordinary novel The City and the City.

Seven Brief Lessons On Physics by Carlo Rovelli : I’m one of those folks who reveres science, but struggles with the complexity of the subject. This book makes mind-bending topics such as quantum mechanics, relativity, and elementary particles surprisingly understandable and even fun. Rovelli’s language is accessible, clear, even poetic.

Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon : A compelling story of espionage set in post-war Germany during the Berlin Airlift that manages to incorporate political ambiguity, car chases, celebrity intellectuals, gun fights, and tragic romance. My only quibble is that the novel at times seems to reach for too many Cold War cliches.

A Gambler’s Anatomy by Jonathan Lethem : I am usually a huge fan of anything that Lethem writes, but this is a big meh.

Theft By Finding Diaries 1977-2002 by David Sedaris : It seems like he left out all of the funny stuff.

 

 

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Bringing Books To The Readers

Posted on July 6, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The public library in Brest, France has launched its first Bibliambule. This hammock-equipped, bookmobile scooter is designed to make reading fun this summer for the Brestois. Created by Z’Ambules of Paris, the clever scooters are already in use in by libraries in Lyon and Paris. Brest’s Bibliambule carries mainly children’s literature and Young Adult books, along with seven cozy reading hammocks.

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Resist Periodically

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Last January, I posted a story about RESIST! magazine, which was launched to coincide with the women’s marches against the illegitimate Trump regime. The editors Françoise Mouly and Nadia Spiegelman issued a second edition of the protest magazine on the 4th of July in an expanded format. This edition, which will be available for free at select comic bookstore and bookshop outlets and for order online, reflects on the ongoing national nightmare through the eyes of progressive artists and writers.

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Happy 4th of July

Posted on July 4, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

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Bookstore Support

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

I frequently get approached to support various crowd funding projects for bookstores. To be honest, I often feel a bit annoyed that business owners are asking for bailouts when so many people face their own financial struggles. However, in some instances a bookstore is such an important community resource, or such a valued local institution that I can in good conscience get on board with the project.

North Philadelphia’s Black and Nobel is an African American bookshop that has been an anchor in the community since 2009. It has recently launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking to raise $250,000 to keep the bookstore open and to expand their programs. The money will be earmarked for the purchase of a new store building and for a community outreach bus.

Black and Nobel already functions as a neighborhood center for the local literary and arts community. They also support prison reading programs and send books to incarcerated community members.

If you are interested, check out the GoFundMe campaign here.

 

 

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Travel Buzz

Posted on July 2, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

It won’t be available for sale for two years, but I’m already psyched about Volkswagen’s modernized electric microbus van. After spending much of a summer living in a VW  just like the red one pictured above, I’m a little nostalgic for the old microbus.

The new ID Buzz van is expected to have a range of around 300 miles (500 km) on a charge and the ability to recharge 80% in just 30 minutes. I hope that the seats are removable on the new models or a better yet, a camper version.

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Planting Seeds

Posted on July 1, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The U.S. budget airline JetBlue, along with publisher Random House and author Mary Pope Osborne have been bringing books to children in U.S. cities that are considered book deserts or communities with difficult access to children’s books. The Soar With Reading project has installed vending machines that allow kids to get free books during the summer months.

The program has installed vending machines in five cities, and this year they have set-up four in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to distribute 100,000 English, Spanish, and Bilingual children’s books. Check out the project website to see how you can participate.

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Anarchy In The UK

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

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Ice Scream

Posted on June 29, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

During the last few years, I have had the opportunity to observe first hand the devastating impact that climate change is having on glaciers in Alaska and in Europe. It’s heartbreaking to see the rapid retreat of these spectacular natural features. French photographer and street artist Philippe Echaroux has responded to this ongoing environmental catastrophe by literally shining a light on the problem.

The Ice Scream project uses light art projected directly onto glaciers to raise awareness about global warming and the decline of European glaciers. Echaroux’s light art leaves no trace on the landscape but dramatically highlights the issue.

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